title: Optimizing the gas distributor based on CO2bubble dynamic behaviors to improve microalgal biomass production in an air-lift photo-bioreactor.
abstract: Dynamic behavior of bubbles would significantly affect CO2mass transfer and may cause microalgae cells uneven distribution due to the bubble carrying effect. To improve microalgae growth, the gas distributor and aeration conditions was optimized according to the bubble rising behavior. The CO2bubble rising trajectory is similar to a Zigzag. The amplitude and wavelength of the Zigzag, which reflected the influenced zone of microalgae suspension in horizontal direction and disturbance intensity on culture, respectively, was controlled by the structure of gas distributor and aeration conditions. An optimized round gas distributor that full of holes with an inner diameter of 0.5mm and spacing of 1.5mm was designed. When cultivated with the optimized gas distributor aerating 5% CO2gas at 0.250vvm, the maximum biomass concentration of Chlorella pyrenoidosa achieved 2.88gL-1, increased by 83.44% compared to that of 1.57gL-1cultivated with the commercial micro-bubbles aerator.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China; Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China; Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China; Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China; Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China. Electronic address: lqzx@cqu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China; Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Chongqing University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400044, China; Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002708:Chlorella; D058086:Microalgae
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Bubbles behaviors; CO(2); Gas distributor; Microalgae; Photo-bioreactor