Development and application of a comprehensive numerical simulation model for microalgal pneumatic photobioreactors

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Computational Science

Background:

• Microalgal cultivation in photobioreactors is crucial for sustainable production.
• Optimizing light utilization and fluid dynamics in photobioreactors remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive multiphysics numerical simulation model for microalgal pneumatic photobioreactors.
• To investigate methods for maximizing solar energy utilization in outdoor flat plate photobioreactors.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel multiphysics model integrating fluid dynamics, light transport, and microalgae growth using OpenFOAM.
• Incorporated light scattering by air bubbles in the light transport submodel.
• Validated the model against experimental data across various configurations.

Main Results:

• The model successfully addressed challenges with disparate time scales of submodels.
• A light-intensity adaptive reactor design showed a 12.31% to 26.31% increase in daily productivity compared to constant biomass concentration reactors.
• Demonstrated significant potential for enhancing microalgal productivity through simulation-guided optimization.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiphysics model provides a robust tool for simulating microalgal photobioreactors.
• Adaptive light management strategies significantly boost solar energy utilization and productivity.
• The model can be integrated with automated systems for enhanced microalgal cultivation.