微藻培养过程的光特性研究进展

微藻培养过程中光的吸收、衰减以及光暗循环等特性是影响微藻的生长速度及其产量的重要因素。本文分析了微藻的光吸收过程、光在微藻培养液中的衰减特性以及微藻培养过程中的光暗循环特性,重点综述了国内外各类光生物反应器中光特性的研究进展,并对其发展方向进行了展望,为微藻培养光生物反应器的设计提供参考依据。     

光照对光生物反应器中微藻高密度光自养培养的影响

光生物反应器是实现微藻高密度培养的重要装置,其设计的关键技术之一是选择合适的光照方式。根据国内外近十年来的相关研究成果,重点介绍了入射光性质(光源、光强、光质和光暗循环)和光能分布对微藻生长的影响,评述了用于微藻高密度培养的光照技术,展望了进一步的研究方向,为高效光生物反应器的设计和优化提供参考。     

LED光质调控微藻生长及目标产物积累的研究进展

光是影响微藻光自养生长的最重要因素.LED光质在调控微藻生长及目标产物积累方面的巨大优势已经引起了诸多研究者及相关企业的高度重视.基于LED光质调控技术开发的微藻培养工艺有望革新现有生产技术,促进微藻产业的快速发展.为此,本文阐述了微藻可吸收利用的光谱范围及光受体、不同LED光质对微藻生长及目标产物积累的影响、基于LE...     

一种用于微藻培养的新型板式光生物反应器

微藻的闪光效应可以大幅提高微藻的光效率,提高微藻产量。通过在传统的板式光生物反应器中加入斜挡板以增强微藻的闪光效应。以小球藻为模型藻种,考察了新型板式光生物反应器内不同光强和不同进口流速对小球藻生长速率和光效率的影响。结果表明,当进口流速为0.16 m/s时,随着光强的提高,小球藻的细胞浓度逐渐增加,光效率逐渐降低;在500μmol/(m2·s)的光强条件下,小球藻细胞浓度和光效率均随着进口流速的提高而增加。新型板式光生物反应器内小球藻的细胞浓度比传统板式光生物反应器提高了39.23%,表明在传统板式光生物反应器内加入斜挡板可有效增强微藻的闪光效应。     

封闭式光生物反应器研究进展

国际上80～90年代,封闭式光生物反应器是微藻生物技术的重要研究热点,也是微藻生物技术产业化的关键技术之一。本文较全面地介绍了用于微藻大规模培养的封闭式光生物反应器研究现状。将封闭式光生物反应器分为柱式、管式、板式和光导纤维反应器等类型。工业放大前景的管式和板式光生物反应器采取了典型个案分析的方法,列表比较了典型反应器的主要技术参数,并对它们的技术发展趋势进行了归纳总结。     

用管式光生物反应器培养螺旋藻的研究

微藻大规模培养主要有敞开式大池培养和封闭式光生物反应器培养两种主要方式。管式光生物反应器是封闭式光生物反应器的主要类型之一。与其它类型相比,管式光生物反应器放大较易,成本较低。国外关于管式光生物反应器已有不少研究［１～３］但关于管式光生物反应器产率与光强和光暗比的关系等方面的研究尚未得出明确的结论。国内管式光生物反应器的研究较少［４］,尚未见有关管式光生物反应器中微藻悬浮液流变特性基础参数和产率影响因素的报道。螺旋藻是丝状体蓝藻,螺旋藻蛋白质含量高,其蛋白质所含必需氨基酸丰富,是国内外大规模商业…     

光生物反应器培养微藻研究进展

微藻具有固定CO2和净化有机废水的能力,在环保、食品饲（饵）料、医药和生物能源开发等领域备受关注,但规模化培养及其产业化仍是研究的难点,亟待解决。就常用于大规模培养微藻的光生物反应器的特点和结构进行了综述。其中,封闭式微藻光生物反应器能够较好地调控藻种的培养条件、不易遭受污染,藻种的纯度容易控制,但培养规模小,生产成本较高;而开放式微藻光生物反应器无法精确控制藻种生长环境,但生产规模大、产量高、生产成本低,因此应用广泛。最佳的方法是综合两者优点,即首先利用封闭式微藻光生物反应器进行中试放大,大量繁殖藻种,然后投入开放式微藻光生物反应器内进行大规模商业生产,此方法有望成为微藻光生物反应器的发展方向,以期为微藻大规模培养提供参考借鉴。     

光生物反应器脱除空气中CO2的模型研究

微藻光生物反应器具有脱除空气中CO_2能力。从光生物反应器构型、进气流速、混合传质,及微藻光合/呼吸速率等方面,探讨气升式光生物反应器脱除空气中CO_2效果,提出了时间离散化和集中参数法两种分析方法。运用集中参数法建立了气升式柱型光生物反应器脱除CO_2的数学模型,模拟了藻液中溶氧浓度(DO)、pH随时间的变化情况,及进气CO_2浓度影响,预测并验证了光照条件下出气CO_2、O_2浓度的变化趋势。模拟结果和实验数据基本吻合,所提出的模型对光生物反应器的优化设计、微藻的高密度培养,及CO_2去除能力预测具有参考意义。     

微藻规模化培养技术研究进展及产业化概况

正首先,对目前微藻规模化生产中应用最广的光自养培养模式,按照其所用培养装置的不同,分别介绍了开放式大池和封闭式光生物反应器培养系统产业化现状及其最新研究进展。其次,对微藻另外两种培养方式异养培养和混养(兼养)培养的产业化现状、各自存在的问题进行了总结和分析。最后,对近年来出现的具有较好产业化前景的微藻培养新技术进行了简介。     

经济微藻高密度培养技术及其生物资源化利用

经济微藻富含不饱和脂肪酸、蛋白质、碳水化合物等多种生物活性物质, 可以应用于食品加工业、水产养殖业、医药与美容业、废水处理环保业和生物能源业等各行业。开发和利用微藻生物资源将是解决人类能源需求的重要途径, 微藻产业化的发展进程与社会经济、生态环境和人类健康有密切的关系。微藻高密度培养是提高微藻生物质产量和活性代谢产物, 发展生物质能源的关键环节。论文综述了微藻的社会经济价值, 指出了其在能源、食品、水产等行业的重要作用; 介绍了开放式培养和封闭式培养的两大类技术体系, 比较分析了柱状光反应器、平板光反应器和管状光反应器的特点; 概括了影响经济微藻生长和油脂含量的主要因素, 包括光照、温度、pH、营养元素等, 最后展望了经济微藻培养及其生物资源化利用的前景。     

Photosynthetic efficiency of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in attenuated, flashing light

As a result of mixing and light attenuation, algae in a photobioreactor (PBR) alternate between light and dark zones and, therefore, experience variations in photon flux density (PFD). These variations in PFD are called light/dark (L/D) cycles. The objective of this study was to determine how these L/D cycles affect biomass yield on light energy in microalgae cultivation. For our work, we used controlled, short light path, laboratory, turbidostat‐operated PBRs equipped with a LED light source for square‐wave L/D cycles with frequencies from 1 to 100 Hz. Biomass density was adjusted that the PFD leaving the PBR was equal to the compensation point of photosynthesis. Algae were acclimated to a sub‐saturating incident PFD of 220 µmol m^?2 s^?1 for continuous light. Using a duty cycle of 0.5, we observed that L/D cycles of 1 and 10 Hz resulted on average in a 10% lower biomass yield, but L/D cycles of 100 Hz resulted on average in a 35% higher biomass yield than the yield obtained in continuous light. Our results show that interaction of L/D cycle frequency, culture density and incident PFD play a role in overall PBR productivity. Hence, appropriate L/D cycle setting by mixing strategy appears as a possible way to reduce the effect that dark zone exposure impinges on biomass yield in microalgae cultivation. The results may find application in optimization of outdoor PBR design to maximize biomass yields. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109: 2567–2574. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Changes in the cell composition of the marine microalga, Nannochloropsis gaditana, during a light:dark cycle

Nannochloropsis gaditana was grown in semicontinuous culture with a circadian light:dark cycle in a flat-panel photobioreactor. The microalga had a maximal protein content (3 pg cell^–1) after 6 h light and then only storage compounds were accumulated that were consumed during the dark phase. Carbohydrates reached their maximum value after 8 h (0.8 pg cell^–1) and lipids after 12 h light (2.5 pg cell^–1). The results demonstrated that young or adult microalgae might be obtained according to the time of day.     

Study of hydrodynamic characteristics in tubular photobioreactors

In this work, the hydrodynamic characteristics in tubular photobioreactors with a series of helical static mixers built-in were numerically investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The influences of height and screw pitch of the helical static mixer and fluid inlet velocity on the cell trajectories, swirl numbers and energy consumption were examined. In order to verify the actual results for cultivation of microalgae, cultivation experiments of freshwater Chlorella sp. were carried out in photobioreactor with and without helical static mixer built-in at the same time. It was shown that with built-in helical static mixer, the mixing of fluid could be intensified, and the light/dark cycle could also be achieved which is of benefit for the growth of microalgae. The biomass productivity of Chlorella sp. in tubular photobioreactor with helical static mixer built-in was 37.26 % higher than that in the photobioreactor without helical static mixer.     

Photosynthetic efficiency of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in flashing light

Efficient light to biomass conversion in photobioreactors is crucial for economically feasible microalgae production processes. It has been suggested that photosynthesis is enhanced in short light path photobioreactors by mixing‐induced flashing light regimes. In this study, photosynthetic efficiency and growth of the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were measured using LED light to simulate light/dark cycles ranging from 5 to 100 Hz at a light‐dark ratio of 0.1 and a flash intensity of 1000 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Light flashing at 100 Hz yielded the same photosynthetic efficiency and specific growth rate as cultivation under continuous illumination with the same time‐averaged light intensity (i.e., 100 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹). The efficiency and growth rate decreased with decreasing flash frequency. Even at 5 Hz flashing, the rate of linear electron transport during the flash was still 2.5 times higher than during maximal growth under continuous light, suggesting storage of reducing equivalents during the flash which are available during the dark period. In this way the dark reaction of photosynthesis can continue during the dark time of a light/dark cycle. Understanding photosynthetic growth in dynamic light regimes is crucial for model development to predict microalgal photobioreactor productivities. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2905–2913. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Microalgae cultivation in air-lift reactors: modeling biomass yield and growth rate as a function of mixing frequency

The slow development of microalgal biotechnology stems from the failure in the design of large-scale photobioreactors where light energy is efficiently utilized. Due to the light gradient inside the reactor and depending on the mixing properties, algae are subjected to certain light/dark cycles where the light period is characterized by a light gradient. These light/dark cycles will determine productivity and biomass yield on light energy. Air-lift reactors can be used for microalgae cultivation and medium-frequency light/dark cycles will be found in these systems. Light/dark cycles are associated with two basic parameters: first, the light fraction, i.e., the ratio between the light period and the cycle time and second, the frequency of the light/dark cycle. In the present work, light/dark cycles found in air-lift reactors were simulated taking into account the light gradient during the light period. The effect of medium-frequency cycle time (10-100 s) and light fraction (0.1-1) on growth rate and biomass yield on light energy of the microalgae Dunaliella tertiolecta was studied. The biomass yield and growth rates were mainly affected by the light fraction, while cycle time had little influence. Response surface methodology was used and a statistical model describing the effect of light fraction and cycle time on growth rate and biomass yield on light energy was developed. The use of the model as a reactor design criterion is discussed.     

Dynamic discrete model of flashing light effect in photosynthesis of microalgae

For a photobioreactor for mass-culturing microalgae, it is known that flashing light effect enhances the efficiency of photosynthesis. A dynamic model for photosynthesis was developed to elucidate this effect. A particular feature of the model is that discrete RuBP particles circulate in the Calvin cycle and their speeds in the cycle are determined by the amount of ATP generated in the photon reception process. This can realise the light saturation under continuous light and the flashing light effect under fluctuating illumination. Laboratory experiments were conducted to obtain model parameters by curve-fitting for Chaetoceros calcitrans. The present model demonstrates the light flashing effect moderately well and elucidates its mechanism reasonably.     

Photobioreactors for microalgal cultures: A Lagrangian model coupling hydrodynamics and kinetics

Closed photobioreactors have to be optimized in terms of light utilization and overall photosynthesis rate. A simple model coupling the hydrodynamics and the photosynthesis kinetics has been proposed to analyze the photosynthesis dynamics due to the continuous shuttle of microalgae between dark and lighted zones of the photobioreactor. Microalgal motion has been described according to a stochastic Lagrangian approach adopting the turbulence model suitable for the photobioreactor configuration (single vs. two‐phase flows). Effects of light path, biomass concentration, turbulence level and irradiance have been reported in terms of overall photosynthesis rate. Different irradiation strategies (internal, lateral and rounding) and several photobioreactor configurations (flat, tubular, bubble column, airlift) have been investigated. Photobioreactor configurations and the operating conditions to maximize the photosynthesis rate have been pointed out. Results confirmed and explained the common experimental observation that high concentrated cultures are not photoinhibited at high irradiance level. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:1259–1272, 2015     

Hydrodynamic characteristics and microalgae cultivation in a novel flat‐plate photobioreactor

Flat‐plate photobioreactors (FPPBRs) are widely reported for cultivation of microalgae. In this work, a novel FPPBR mounted with inclined baffles was developed, which can make the fluid produce a “spirality” flow. The flow field and cell trajectory in the photobioreactor were investigated by using computational fluid dynamics. In addition, the cell trajectory was analyzed using a Fast Fourier transformation. The influence of height of the baffles, the angle α between the inclined baffle and fluid inlet flow direction (z), and the fluid inlet velocity on the frequency of flashing light effect and pressure drop were examined to optimize the structure parameters of the inclined baffles and operating conditions of the photobioreactor. The results showed that with inclined baffles built‐in, significant swirl flow could be generated in the FPPBR. In this way, the flashing light effect for microalgal cell could also be achieved and the photosynthesis efficiency of microalgae could be promoted. In outdoor cultivation of freshwater Chlorella sp., the maximum biomass productivity of Chlorella sp. cultivated in the photobioreactor with inclined baffles was 29.94% higher than that of the photobioreactor without inclined baffles. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2013     

Scale-up of tubular photobioreactors

The effect of the light/dark cycle frequency on theproductivity of algal culture at differentday-averaged irradiance conditions was evaluated forPhaeodactylum tricornutum grown in outdoortubular photobioreactors. The photobioreactor scale-upproblem was analyzed by establishing the frequency oflight–dark cycling of cells and ensuring that thecycle frequency remained unchanged on scale-up. Thehydrodynamics and geometry related factors wereidentified for assuring an unchanged light/dark cycle.The light/dark cycle time in two different tubularphotobioreactors was shown to be identical when thelinear culture velocity in the large scale device(U _LL) and that in the small scale unit (>U _LS)were related as follows:U_LL = \frac f ^9/7 \alpha^8/7 U_LS.Here f is the scale factor (i.e., the ratio oflarge-to-small tube diameters), is afunction of the illuminated volumes in the tworeactors, and `dark' refers to any zone of the reactorwhere the light intensity is less than the saturationvalue. The above equation was tested in continuouscultures of P. tricornutum in reactors with 0.03 mand 0.06 m diameter tubes, and over the workableculture velocity range of 0.23 to 0.50 m s^-1. Thepredicted maximum realistic photobioreactor tubediameter was about 0.10 m for assuring a cultureperformance identical to that in reactors with smaller tubes.