English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Microalgae based biofuel is an emerging natural source of energy alternative to the fossil fuel. As microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms, light is one of the limiting factors for its culture. Though many researches have been carried out for findings behind suitable culture system for the proper growth of microalgae, those are confined only to tubular Photo-bioreactor (PBR). This paper aims to make comparison among the horizontal loop photo bioreactors with different cross sections based on the analysis of hydrodynamics behavior. Three different geometrical shapes having vertical cross sections of circular, square and hexagonal PBR, have been proposed taking into account light intensity for microalgae culture. In this study, we simulate the flow dynamics of three types of PBRs and discuss the velocity, pressure and shear stress properties as microalgae endurance capacity depends on them. For the dimension of the three PBRs we considered here, each of them have radius of about 0.05 m while the length together with bending portion is approximately 20.5 m for a single loop. From the study, the hydrodynamic behaviors are observed to be quite dissimilar in case of three PBR’s. In the straight portion the velocity profile is quite parabolic in tubular but distorted minimally in case of square and hexagonal PBRs. In the middle of the U-loop, a haphazard fluid distribution is noticed. The velocity magnitude and agitation of microalgae cells are higher in hexagonal than in square and tubular. The shear rate is less in case of tubular compared to square and hexagonal. A linear pressure drop is found from the inlet to the outlet for three PBR’s. From this comparison, it can be said that the tubular one would be the best option for microalgae culture in case of industrial purposes.

Comparative Analysis of Hydrodynamics Behavior of Microalgae Suspension Flow in Circular, Square and Hexagonal Shape Photo Bioreactors