Outdoor Cultivation of the Microalga Chlorella vulgaris in a New Photobioreactor Configuration: The Effect of Ultraviolet and Visible Radiation

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Lopes, AP (Author) Other; Santos, FM (Author) Other; Tânia Silva (Author) FEUP; Vitor Vilar (Author) FEUP; Pires, JCM (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Energies

Vol. 13 No. 1

Final page: 1962

ISSN: 1996-1073

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 1 Citation

Associated Projects

LEPABE - Projeto Estratégico do LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

IF/01341/2015 - Configurações de fotobiorreatores para cultivo de microalgas: modelação de bioprocessos e avaliação de sustentabilidade

LSRE-LCM - Laboratório de Processos de Separação e Reacção - Laboratório de Catálise e Materiais

PIV4Algae - Intensificação do processo de produção e valorização de microalgas

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00S-1S2

DOI: 10.3390/en13081962

Abstract (EN): Microalgae can be a future source of biomass with a wide range of applications, including its use to solve current environmental issues. One of the main variables for microalgal cultivation is the light supply: (i) its intensity that often does not present a uniform spatial distribution inside the culture; (ii) photoperiod; and (iii) spectrum. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the growth of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in a tubular photobioreactor with compound parabolic collectors (CPCs) under outdoor conditions. The effect of ultraviolet and visible radiation on biomass productivity and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) uptake was assessed. The maximum biomass productivity was (5 +/- 1) x 10(-3) g.L-1.h(-1), and the specific growth rates ranged from (1.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(-2) to (2.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(-2) h(-1). Regarding nutrient uptake, initial removal rates of (0.9 +/- 0.4) mg N.L-1.h(-1) for nitrogen and (0.17 +/- 0.04) mg P.L-1.h(-1) for phosphorus were reached. These values increased with visible and ultraviolet irradiance until certain values (143 W-VIS.m(-2) and 9 W-UV.m(-2) for biomass productivity; 101 W-VIS.m(-2) and 6 W-UV.m(-2) for nutrient removal) and then decreased for higher ones due to the photoinhibition phenomenon. Therefore, the application of CPCs to photobioreactors (PBRs) may be beneficial for microalgal culture in countries with higher latitude (with lower solar irradiance levels).

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 18