Growth of algal biomass in laboratory and in large-scale algal photobioreactors in the temperate climate of western Germany

0475542 - MBÚ 2018 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Schreiber, Ch. - Behrendt, D. - Huber, G. - Pfaff, Ch. - Widzgowski, J. - Ackermann, B. - Müller, A. - Zachleder, Vilém - Moudříková, Š. - Mojzeš, P. - Schurr, U. - Grobbelaar, J. - Nedbal, A.
Growth of algal biomass in laboratory and in large-scale algal photobioreactors in the temperate climate of western Germany.
Bioresource Technology. Roč. 234, June 2017 (2017), s. 140-149. ISSN 0960-8524. E-ISSN 1873-2976
Institutional support: RVO:61388971
Keywords : Microalgae * Batch cultivation * Chlorella vulgaris
OECD category: Microbiology
Impact factor: 5.807, year: 2017

Growth of Chlorella vulgaris was characterized as a function of irradiance in a laboratory turbidostat (1 L) and compared to batch growth in sunlit modules (5-25 L) of the commercial NOVAgreen photobioreactor. The effects of variable sunlight and culture density were deconvoluted by a mathematical model. The analysis showed that algal growth was light-limited due to shading by external construction elements and due to light attenuation within the algal bags. The model was also used to predict maximum biomass productivity. The manipulative experiments and the model predictions were confronted with data from a production season of three large-scale photobioreactors: NOVAgreen (<36,000 L), IGV (2,500-3,500 L), and Phytolutions (28,000 L). The analysis confirmed light-limitation in all three photobioreactors. An additional limitation of the biomass productivity was caused by the nitrogen starvation that was used to induce lipid accumulation. Reduction of shading and separation of biomass and lipid production are proposed for future optimization.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0272239