Stacked optical waveguide photobioreactor for high density algal cultures

Jung, Erica E.; Jain, Anurag; Voulis, Nina; Doud, Devin F. R.; Angenent, Largus T.; Erickson, David

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2014.08.093

Cited by 38 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Biofilm photobioreactors (in which cells are cultivated as surface attached colonies rather than in suspension, ( Fig. 5f ) can particularly benefit from larger surface areas since more illuminated area is available for attachment and cultivation 85 86 . Roughened optical fibres have been used for this purpose to distribute light to biofilms attached to the fibre surfaces, and achieved light energy to hydrogen conversion efficiencies of 9.3% compared with 3.9% for cultures in suspension 87 .…”

Section: Managing Light Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, stacks of optical waveguides have been used to distribute light to ultra-high-density cultures with path lengths of 2 mm and achieved an eightfold improvement in productivity over bulk cultures with a path length of 30 mm (ref. 85 ). Achieving uniform scattering of light from waveguides is desirable and can be achieved through patterned or random surface treatments 88 , though complete uniformity may not be necessary provided the peak intensity is below the saturation threshold.…”

Section: Managing Light Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Photon management for augmented photosynthesis

et al. 2016

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Microalgae and cyanobacteria are some of nature's finest examples of solar energy conversion systems, effortlessly transforming inorganic carbon into complex molecules through photosynthesis. The efficiency of energy-dense hydrocarbon production by photosynthetic organisms is determined in part by the light collected by the microorganisms. Therefore, optical engineering has the potential to increase the productivity of algae cultivation systems used for industrial-scale biofuel synthesis. Herein, we explore and report emerging and promising material science and engineering innovations for augmenting microalgal photosynthesis.

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Section: Managing Light Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Managing Light Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photon management for augmented photosynthesis

et al. 2016

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“…Therefore, several approaches to tackle such issues have been used. Jung et al [ 9 ] used 3D printing technology to produce a bioreactor with multiple layers of rough slides embedded in it. Light penetrates along the edge of the slide and is refracted by the slide to guide the light to the bacteria.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debottlenecking Thermophilic Cyanobacteria Cultivation and Harvesting through the Application of Inner-Light Photobioreactor and Chitosan

Zhang

Chen

Russel

et al. 2021

Plants

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Thermophilic cyanobacteria are a low-carbon environmental resource with high potential thanks to their innate temperature tolerance and thermostable pigment, phycocyanin, which enhances light utilisation efficiency and generates a high-value product. However, large-scale cultivation and harvesting have always been bottlenecks in unicellular cyanobacteria cultivation due to their micrometric size. In this study, a 40-litre inner-light photobioreactor (PBR) was designed for scaled-up cultivation of Thermosynechococcus elongatus E542. By analysing light transmission and attenuation in the PBR and describing it via mathematical models, the supply of light energy to the reactor was optimised. It was found that the hyperbolic model describes the light attenuation characteristics of the cyanobacterial culture more accurately than the Lambert–Beer model. The internal illumination mode was applied for strain cultivation and showed a two-fold better growth rate and four-fold higher biomass concentration than the same strain grown in an externally illuminated photobioreactor. Finally, the downstream harvesting process was explored. A mixture of chitosan solutions was used as a flocculant to facilitate biomass collection. The effect of the following parameters on biomass harvesting was analysed: solution concentration, flocculation time and flocculant concentration. The analysis revealed that a 4 mg L−1 chitosan solution is optimal for harvesting the strain. The proposed solutions can improve large-scale cyanobacterial biomass cultivation and processing.

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“…production cost(Jain et al, 2015;Jung et al, 2014). Finally, SW-PBRs managed to improve ethylene production rates to 937 µg L -1 h -1 , which represented a 4-fold improvement compared to a conventional flat plate PBR(Jain et al, 2015).…”

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confidence: 95%

Integrated hollow fiber membranes for gas delivery into optical waveguide based photobioreactors

Ahsan

Gümüş

Jain

et al. 2015

Bioresource Technology

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Compact algal reactors are presented with: (1) closely stacked layers of waveguides to decrease light-path to enable larger optimal light-zones; (2) waveguides containing scatterers to uniformly distribute light; and (3) hollow fiber membranes to reduce energy required for gas transfer. The reactors are optimized by characterizing the aeration of different gases through hollow fiber membranes and characterizing light intensities at different culture densities. Close to 65% improvement in plateau peak productivities was achieved under low light-intensity growth experiments while maintaining 90% average/peak productivity output during 7-h light cycles. With associated mixing costs of ∼ 1 mW/L, several magnitudes smaller than closed photobioreactors, a twofold increase is realized in growth ramp rates with carbonated gas streams under high light intensities, and close to 20% output improvement across light intensities in reactors loaded with high density cultures.

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Stacked optical waveguide photobioreactor for high density algal cultures

Cited by 38 publications

References 20 publications

Photon management for augmented photosynthesis

Photon management for augmented photosynthesis

Debottlenecking Thermophilic Cyanobacteria Cultivation and Harvesting through the Application of Inner-Light Photobioreactor and Chitosan

Integrated hollow fiber membranes for gas delivery into optical waveguide based photobioreactors

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