Continuous electrocoagulation of Chlorella vulgaris in a novel channel-flow reactor: A pilot-scale harvesting study.

0555589 - ÚCHP 2023 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Lucáková, Simona - Brányiková, Irena - Kováčiková, Sára - Masojídek, Jiří - Ranglová, Karolína - Brányik, T. - Růžička, Marek
Continuous electrocoagulation of Chlorella vulgaris in a novel channel-flow reactor: A pilot-scale harvesting study.
Bioresource Technology. Roč. 351, May 2022 (2022), č. článku 126996. ISSN 0960-8524. E-ISSN 1873-2976
R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TJ01000297
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 727874 - SABANA
Institutional support: RVO:67985858 ; RVO:61388971
Keywords : electrocoagulation * electroflocculation * chlorella * microalgae
OECD category: Industrial biotechnology; Microbiology (MBU-M)
Impact factor: 11.4, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access with time embargo

The most frequently used method to harvest microalgae on an industrial scale is centrifugation, although this has very high energy costs. To reduce these costs, a continuous electrocoagulation process for harvesting Chlorella vulgaris was developed and tested using a pilot-scale 111 L working volume device consisting of an electrolyser with iron electrodes, aggregation channel and lamellar settler. The flow rate of the microalgal suspension through the device was 240 L/h. When using controlled cultivation and subsequent electrocoagulation, a high harvesting efficiency (above 85%), a low Fe contamination in the harvested biomass (<4 mg Fe/g dry biomass, a harvested biomass complied with legislative requirements for food) and significant energy savings were ach ieved. When comparing electrocoagulation and subsequent centrifugation with the use of centrifugation alone, energy savings were 80 % for a biomass harvesting concentration of 0.23 g/L. Electrocoagulation was thus proven to be a feasible pre-concentration method for harvesting microalgae.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0330074