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Smart Factory of Microalgae in Environmental Biotechnology
Published in Pau Loke Show, Wai Siong Chai, Tau Chuan Ling, Microalgae for Environmental Biotechnology, 2023
Shazia Ali, Kuan Shiong Khoo, Hooi Ren Lim, Hui Suan Ng, Pau Loke Show
Microalgae industrialization necessitates large-scale culturing, which is generally accomplished utilizing open systems such as ponds or closed systems such as photobioreactors to avoid contamination and evaporation while achieving larger biomass concentrations (Chen et al. 2011). On the other hand, photobioreactors have a high capital cost, are difficult to scale up, and have high shear stress resulting in cell damage. However, they provide excellent yields and control over a variety of culture parameters, thus it is worth investing in developing efficient and low-cost photobioreactors designs (Chang et al. 2017). Photobioreactors are bioreactors designed specifically for the cultivation of phototrophic organisms. As a bioreactor can control carbon dioxide, temperature, mixing of nutrients and light intensity, the organism can attain considerably higher biomass than it could in nature. Figure 8.2 shows the schematic description of a photobioreactor system.
Industry 3.0
Published in Pau Loke Show, Kit Wayne Chew, Tau Chuan Ling, The Prospect of Industry 5.0 in Biomanufacturing, 2021
A photobioreactor is a type of bioreactor used to culture phototrophic microorganisms (such as microalgae and cyanobacteria) in the presence of a light source. Phototrophic microorganisms undergo photosynthesis to create food in the form of glucose and starch using water, carbon dioxide, and light. The common configuration for fermenter-type photobioreactors is cylindrical vessels made of transparent materials (such as glass, acrylic, or plastic) which allows light penetration. Light sources are located at specified distances from the walls of the vessels to control the amount of light falling on the culture. The fermenter-type photobioreactor can perform open gas exchange, making it a suitable choice for culture optimization studies. The primary benefit of using fermenter-type photobioreactor is its ability to monitor and manage each operating parameter accurately (Carvalho, Meireles, and Malcata 2006; Dasgupta et al. 2010). However, its main drawback is the difficulty in scaling-up as the design is limited by low surface area to volume ratio (or limited light penetration into the culture broth) and high capital investment. In large-scale cultivation, one way to overcome the light penetration issue is to provide internal illumination by inserting light sources into the fermenter and agitation by using stirrers (Dasgupta et al. 2010; Heining et al. 2014).
Production of Clean Energy from Cyanobacterial Biochemical Products
Published in Stephen A. Roosa, International Solutions to Sustainable Energy, Policies and Applications, 2020
In this chapter, an improved technology to produce hydrogen biologically will be discussed as a source of clean energy. The photochemical reaction among photons, ultraviolet (UV) light, and cyanobacterial biomaterials in photobioreactors offer a unique methodology for producing hydrogen energy. A photobioreactor is a type of bioreactor that utilizes a light source to cultivate phototrophic microorganisms. Using this technology, hydrogen production is significantly higher than for any other technology that has ever been used. This hydrogen evolution is a product of the ultimate reaction of agitated photon electrons into the cyanobacterial biomolecules, where hydrogenase enzymes function as an active catalyst. The evolved hydrogen is then clarified using an electronic semi-conductor-based sensor gas chromatograph with the efficiency recorded using a computerized data acquisition system. The results confirmed that this larger amount of hydrogen formation could be an interesting source of clean energy production. It is suggested that producing hydrogen using cyanobacteria could be a method of meeting future global energy demand. The purpose of this chapter is to describe this process and discuss its benefits.
Arthrospira sp. mediated bioremediation of gray water in ceramic membrane based photobioreactor: process optimization by response surface methodology
Published in International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2022
Shritama Mukhopadhyay, Animesh Jana, Sourja Ghosh, Swachchha Majumdar, Tapan Kumar Ghosh
The closed photobioreactor process is more advantageous due to high photosynthetic efficiency, high concentration and areal productivities, low contamination risk, elimination of water loss by evaporation, and a properly controlled environment. Arthrospira sp. cultivated in the photobioreactor showed a much higher growth rate of 1.0791 gdwt/L/day on the 7th day of culture under optimized conditions. The light intensity of 7,000 Lux and 48 h interval of 19.5% CO2 supply, maintained for biomass cultivation, seemed to be appropriate for high microalgal growth. CO2 concentrations between 5 and 20% were also found suitable for the growth of Scenedesmus obliquus SJTU-3 and Chlorella pyrenoidosa SJTU-2 (>1.22 g/L) by Tang et al. (2011). Hussain et al. (2017) explicitly revealed that 20% CO2 feeding stimulated high biomass productivity of 1.21–1.4 g/L in isolated microalgal strains. Peng et al. (2020) suggested that Nannochloropsis sp. grew well (with biomass production of 0.54–2.27 g/L) at 5–15% of CO2 feed gas concentration.
Algae and their growth requirements for bioenergy: a review
Published in Biofuels, 2021
Sharifah Najiha Badar, Masita Mohammad, Zeynab Emdadi, Zahira Yaakob
There are several different systems to grow algae, including the use of open ponds, covered ponds, raceways and engineered systems (photobioreactors). In large-scale algal biomass production, the most commonly available and suitable methods are raceway ponds and tubular photobioreactors [62]. Raceway ponds are open culture systems, located outdoors, easy to scale up, and low-cost operations and investments [63]. In contrast, photobioreactors can be located indoors or outdoors [64]. Both systems (open ponds and photobioreactors) in outdoor locations can use free sunlight as an illumination source [65–68]. Photobioreactors provide a controlled environment to ensure consistent good algal growth and reduced contamination, thus ensuring high biomass productivity compared to open systems [69–71]. Although the photobioreactor process is easy to control, certain requirements of photobioreactors (strict control of oxygen accumulation, efficient light intensity, etc.) have made these systems expensive to build and operate [72].
Studies on power plant algae: assessment of growth kinetics and bio-char production from slow pyrolysis process
Published in Indian Chemical Engineer, 2021
Sumona Das, Kaustav Nath, Vivek Kumar Gupta, Ranjana Chowdhury
All the experiments were conducted in small-scale bioreactors developed by attaching different accessories to 250 ml Erlenmeyer conical flasks. Conventionally, photobioreactors have built-in arrangements made for the control of pH, temperature, gas flow rate and adjustment of light intensity. Under this study, individual bioreactor consisted of outlet channels at the bottom of the conical flask for withdrawal of liquid samples. To maintain the specific concentration of CO2: Air ratio (v/v) at the head space of the bioreactor, two gas exchange tubes were used as inlet and outlets at the top. The pH was also monitored by making sampling arrangement from the flasks. After inoculation, the culture flasks were placed inside the incubator having light arrangements and temperature controllers.