title: The effect of photosynthesis time scales on microalgae productivity.
abstract: Microalgae are often seen as a potential biofuel producer. In order to predict achievable productivities in the so called raceway culturing system, the dynamics of photosynthesis has to be taken into account. In particular, the dynamical effect of inhibition by an excess of light (photoinhibition) must be represented. We propose a model considering both photosynthesis and growth dynamics. This model involves three different time scales. We study the response of this model to fluctuating light with different frequencies by slow/fast approximations. Therefore, we identify three different regimes for which a simplified expression for the model can be derived. These expressions give a hint on productivity improvement which can be expected by stimulating photosynthesis with a faster hydrodynamics.
authors: BIOCORE-INRIA, BP93, 06902, Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France, philipp.hartmann@inria.fr.
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Hartmann
authors: Quentin
authors: Q
authors: Béchet
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Bernard
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008027:Light; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D058433:Photobioreactors; D010777:Photochemistry; D010788:Photosynthesis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D009584:Nitrogen