Performance of flat plate, air-lift reactor for the growth of high biomass algal cultures

You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.

Do you know that oil derived from algae is an exciting renewable fuel possibility? - see Oilgae for more.

Performance of a flat plate, air-lift reactor for the growth of high biomass algal cultures

Journal - Journal of Applied Phycology
Publisher - Springer Netherlands

Issue - Volume 4, Number 1 / March, 1992
DOI - 10.1007/BF00003954

Performance of a flat plate, air-lift reactor for the growth of high biomass algal cultures

Iain A. J. Ratchford1 and Howard J. Fallowfield1
(1)
Department of Biochemical Sciences, The Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5HW, UK

Received: 14 August 1991 Revised: 11 October 1991 Accepted: 20 October 1991

SpringerLink Date - Friday, July 28, 2006

Abstract

A flat plate, multi-pass air lift reactor (FPALR) for the culture of photosynthetic organisms was constructed from twin wall acrylic sheet and its performance characterised. When operated at an air input of 2.01 min−1 the multi-pass system had a Reynolds number of 5200 indicating fully turbulent flow. Chlorella vulgaris 211/11c was found to have a stationary phase biomass of 1.48 g 1−1 when grown in the flat plate air lift reactor (FPALR) at 100 µmol m−2s−1 compared to 1.11 g 1−1 when cultured in the continually stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at the same PFD (photon flux density). The same organism cultured at 200 µmol m−2s−1 achieved a stationary phase biomass of 1.71 g 1−1 in the FPALR. In contrast, Scenedesmus sp. produced a stationary phase biomass of 2.27 g1−1 and 1.27 g1−1, when cultured at 100 µmol m−2s−1 in the FPALR and the CSTR respectively. The growth rates of both organisms were also higher in the PFALR.

Key words photobioreactor - flat plate air-lift reactor - Chlorella - Synechococcus - hydraulic characteristics - photosynthesis

Original Springer Link here

Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again

Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog; The complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source

About Oilgae - Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general. Algae present an exciting possibility as a feedstock for biodiesel, and when you realise that oil was originally formed from algae - among other related plants - you think "Hey! Why not oil again from algae!"