Investigation of photobioreactor design for enhancing the photosynthetic productivity of microalgae.
As photosynthetic efficiencies are relatively high at irradiation levels of <500 micromol m(-2) s(-1), photosynthetic productivity could be increased by redistributing strong light over a larger photo-receiving area using conical, helical, tubular photobioreactors (HTP). When Chlorella were exposed to light irradiation of 980 micromol m(-2) s(-1), the ratio of productivities was 1.00:1.13:1.23:1.66 for conical HTPs with cone angles of 180 degrees (flat type), 120 degrees, 90 degrees, and 60 degrees, respectively. This suggests that photo-redistribution technology is a highly effective and convenient approach for increasing the photosynthetic productivity of microalgae.
Morita
M
M
Bio-Science Department, Abiko Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 1646 Abiko, Abiko-shi, Chiba 270-1194, Japan.
Watanabe
Y
Y
Saiki
H
H
D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002708:Chlorella / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D010788:Photosynthesis