@article{10902/31257,
year = {2024},
month = {1},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10902/31257},
abstract = {Mixing of the algal culture medium in a photobioreactor (PBR) is a crucial factor to enhance microalgae cultivation and production, since it ensures microalgae cells can homogeneously access nutrients and light radiation. Hydrodynamic conditions in an industrially applicable PBR cannot be tested in laboratory cultivation systems since the scale-up methodology is not specified; hence requiring complex tests at a demonstrative scale or the application of mathematical models. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of the hydrodynamic conditions in a hybrid horizontal tubular PBR was developed to investigate the mixing of the culture medium under various operating conditions, in order to optimize biomass production in this type of system. The PBR consists of two open tanks connected through sixteen polyethylene transparent tubes, at a demonstrative scale (total volume 11.7 m3). Microalgae cells movement inside the tubes was simulated. Cell trajectory prediction allows to simulate the intensity of mixing of the culture medium. Subsequent coupling with the biokinetic BIO_ALGAE model allows to monitor the influence of hydrodynamic conditions on the distribution of light in the culture medium and the yield of microalgae. The simulations were experimentally validated. The more intense mixing of the culture medium caused by increasing flow rate (Re = 23,700-46,200) allows more frequent exposure of the microalgae cells to the light source, which according to the results obtained can increase the microalgal yield by 14% in the summer cultivation period and by 151% in the winter period.},
organization = {This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic under OP RDE grant number CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000753 "Research centre for low-carbon energy technologies". Authors would like to thank the European Commission (INCOVER, GA 689242) and the Government of Catalonia (Consolidated Research Group 2017 SGR 1029) for their financial support. E. Uggetti and R. Díez Montero would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Economy for their research grants [RYC2018–025514-I and IJC2019–042069-I, respectively]. J. García acknowledges the support provided by the ICREA Academia program.},
publisher = {Institution of Chemical Engineers},
publisher = {Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2024, 181, 367-376},
title = {Computational fluid dynamics coupled to biokinetic models: numerical methodology for microalgae cultivation optimization},
author = {Belohlav, Vojtech and Jirout, Tomas and Uggetti, Enrica and Díez Montero, Rubén and García Serrano, Joan},
}