Oilgae - Glossary

Algae can also be grown in a photobioreactor. A photobioreactor is a bioreactor which incorporates some type of light source. Virtually any translucent container could be called a photobioreactor, however the term is more commonly used to define a closed system, as opposed to an open tank or pond. Because these systems are closed, all essential nutrients must be introduced into the system to allow algae to grow and be cultivated. Essential nutrients include carbon dioxide, water, minerals and light. A pond covered with a greenhouse could be considered a photobioreactor. A photobioreactor can be operated in "batch mode" but it is also possible to introduce a continuous stream of sterilized water containing nutrients, air, and carbon dioxide. As the algae grows, excess culture overflows and is harvested. If sufficient care is not taken, continuous bioreactors often collapse very quickly, however once they are successfully started, they can continue operating for long periods. An advantage of this type of algae culture is that algae in the "log phase" is produced which is generally of higher nutrient content than old "senescent" algae. It can be shown that the maximum productivity for a bioreactor occurs when the "exchange rate" (time to exchange one volume of liquid) is equal to the "doubling time" (in mass or volume) of the algae. Source

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Process flow diagram of a photo-bioreactor plant:

Industrial-size photobioreactors: Efficient large-volume photobioreactors are needed to exploit the photosynthetic microorganisms used for making food products. Scale-up problems associated with proper light distribution within the reactor are addressed with this novel reactor design.

AlgaeWay® algae photobioreactor: AlgaeWay® Algae cultivation systems are Up scalable, affordable and quick & easy to install.