OPTIMALIZATION OF PHOTOREACTOR GEOMETRY FOR THE CULTIVATION OF CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII

Abstract

At the present time, a great attention is being paid to the use of algae. Algae can adapt to different conditions and can produce substances corresponding to responsible environments. The main problem in their cultivation is the design of a suitable photoreactor. It should create the optimal conditions for their growth, which is mainly dependent on the contact of the algae with the light. The intensity of the light depends on the hydrodynamic conditions in the photoreactor and on its geometry. This paper deals with the study of kinetics of growth and gross biomass yield of biomass in laboratory photobioreactors, respecting their geometrical similarity as a basis for a possible scale-up. An optimal ratio between biomass growth rate and its gross biomass yield as a function of the photoreactor geometry is searched. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were used as the model organism.