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Productivity of Chlorella sorokiniana in a short light‐path (SLP) panel photobioreactor under high irradiance
Author(s) -
Cuaresma María,
Janssen Marcel,
Vílchez Carlos,
Wijffels René H.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.22394
Subject(s) - photobioreactor , chlorella sorokiniana , irradiance , productivity , chlorella , botany , environmental science , light intensity , biology , algae , biomass (ecology) , agronomy , optics , physics , economics , macroeconomics
Maximal productivity of a 14 mm light‐path panel photobioreactor under high irradiance was determined. Under continuous illumination of 2,100 µmol photons m −2 s −1 with red light emitting diodes (LEDs) the effect of dilution rate on photobioreactor productivity was studied. The light intensity used in this work is similar to the maximal irradiance on a horizontal surface at latitudes lower than 37°. Chlorella sorokiniana , a fast‐growing green microalga, was used as a reference strain in this study. The dilution rate was varied from 0.06 to 0.26 h −1 . The maximal productivity was reached at a dilution rate of 0.24 h −1 , with a value of 7.7 g dw m −2 h −1 (m 2 of illuminated photobioreactor surface) and a volumetric productivity of 0.5 g dw L −1 h −1 . At this dilution rate the biomass concentration inside the reactor was 2.1 g L −1 and the photosynthetic efficiency was 1.0 g dw mol photons. This biomass yield on light energy is high but still lower than the theoretical maximal yield of 1.8 g mol photons −1 which must be related to photosaturation and thermal dissipation of absorbed light energy. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 352–359 © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.