title: Enhanced solution velocity between dark and light areas with horizontal tubes and triangular prism baffles to improve microalgal growth in a flat-panel photo-bioreactor.
abstract: Novel horizontal tubes and triangular prism (HTTP) baffles that generate flow vortices were developed to increase solution velocity between dark and light areas and thus improve microalgal growth in a flat-panel photo-bioreactor. Solution velocity, mass-transfer coefficient, and mixing time were measured with a particle-imaging velocimeter, dissolved oxygen probes, and pH probes. The solution mass-transfer coefficient increased by 30% and mixing time decreased by 21% when the HTTP baffles were used. The solution velocity between dark and light areas increased from ∼0.9cm/s to ∼3.5cm/s, resulting in a decreased dark-light cycle period to one-fourth. This enhanced flashing light effect with the HTTP baffles dramatically increased microalgae biomass yield by 70% in the flat-panel photo-bioreactor.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Zongbo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China. Electronic address: juncheng@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Junhu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Kefa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cen
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D008027:Light; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development*; D018462:Photobiology; D012212:Rheology
keywords: Flash light; Flat-panel photo-bioreactor; Flow field; Microalgae