Enhanced flashing light effect with up-down chute baffles to improve microalgal growth in a raceway pond.
Novel up-down chute baffles that sequentially generate clockwise and anticlockwise liquid vortexes were developed to increase vertical liquid velocity between the bottom dark area and the top light area in a raceway pond. The vertical liquid velocity, mixing time, and mass transfer coefficient were measured as functions of paddlewheel speed and air aeration rate by using a particle imaging velocimeter, pH probes, and dissolved oxygen probes. The up-down chute baffles decreased the liquid mixing time and increased the mass transfer coefficient by 41% and 25%, respectively. Besides, the vertical liquid velocity increased from ∼0.5cm/s to ∼6.1cm/s. As a result, the dark-light cycle period was reduced to 1/12. This enhanced flashing light effect with up-down chute baffles increased biomass yield by 32.6% in the same raceway pond.
State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China. Electronic address: juncheng@zju.edu.cn.
Jun
J
Cheng
State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Zongbo
Z
Yang
State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Qing
Q
Ye
State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Junhu
J
Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Kefa
K
Cen
D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D058433:Photobioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D061005:Ponds / Q000382:microbiology*; D011829:Radiation Dosage
Chute baffle; Flash light; Flow field; Microalgae; Raceway pond