title: Novel flat-plate photobioreactors for microalgae cultivation with special mixers to promote mixing along the light gradient.
abstract: Novel flat-plate photobioreactors (PBRs) with special mixers (type-a, type-b, and type-c) were designed based on increased mixing degree along the light gradient. The hydrodynamic and light regime characteristic of the novel PBRs were investigated through computational fluid dynamics. Compared with the control reactor without mixer, the novel reactors can effectively increase liquid velocity along the light gradient, the frequency of light/dark (L/D) cycles, and the algal growth rates of Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The maximum biomass concentrations in type-a, type-b, and type-c reactors were 42.9% (1.3 g L(-1)), 31.9% (1.2 g L(-1)), and 20.9% (1.1 g L(-1)) higher than that in the control reactor (0.91 g L(-1)), respectively, at an aeration rate of 1.0 vvm. Correlation analysis of algal growth rate with the characteristics of mixing and light regime shows the key factors affecting algal photoautotrophic growth are liquid velocity along the light gradient and L/D cycles rather than the macro-mixing degree.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China. Electronic address: ygli@ecust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yuanguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Minxi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Jiaxing Zeyuan Bio-products Co., Ltd., Jiaxing 314007, PR China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Guomin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
authors.forename: Weiliang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D052818:Autotrophic Processes / Q000528:radiation effects; D018533:Biomass; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D002708:Chlorella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D058433:Photobioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D017440:Photoperiod; D011336:Probability; D012212:Rheology / Q000528:radiation effects
keywords: Computational fluid dynamics; Light/dark cycles; Microalgae cultivation; Mixer; Novel flat-plate photobioreactor