Search results for "photobioreactors"
showing 10 items of 14 documents
Effect of ambient temperature variations on an indigenous microalgae-nitrifying bacteria culture dominated by Chlorella
2019
[EN] Two outdoor photobioreactors were operated to evaluate the effect of variable ambient temperature on an indigenous microalgae-nitrifying bacteria culture dominated by Chlorella. Four experiments were carried out in different seasons, maintaining the temperature-controlled PBR at around 25¿°C (by either heating or cooling), while the temperature in the non-temperature-controlled PBR was allowed to vary with the ambient conditions. Temperatures in the range of 15¿30¿°C had no significant effect on the microalgae cultivation performance. However, when the temperature rose to 30¿35¿°C microalgae viability was significantly reduced. Sudden temperature rises triggered AOB growth in the indig…
Microalgae cultivation in wastewater: nutrient removal from anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent
2012
This study investigated the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) by means of a lab-scale photobioreactor in which algae biomass was cultured in a semi-continuous mode for a period of 42 days. Solids retention time was 2 days and a stable pH value in the system was maintained by adding CO2. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the SAnMBR effluent fluctuated according to the operating performance of the bioreactor and the properties of its actual wastewater load. Despite these variations, the anaerobic effluent proved to be a suitable growth medium for microalgae (mean biomass productivity was 234 mgl(-1) d(-1)), achie…
Modeling light and temperature influence on ammonium removal by Scenedesmus sp. under outdoor conditions.
2016
[EN] The ammonium removal rate of the microalga Scenedesmus sp. was studied under outdoor conditions. Microalgae were grown in a 500 L flat-plate photobioreactor and fed with the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Temperature ranged between 9.5 WC and 32.5 WC and maximum light intensity was 1,860 μmol·m2·s1. A maximum specific ammonium removal rate of 3.71 mg NH4 þ-N·g TSS1·h1 was measured (at 22.6 WC and with a light intensity of 1,734 μmol·m2·s1). A mathematical model considering the influence of ammonium concentration, light and temperature was validated. The model successfully reproduced the observed values of ammonium removal rate obtained and it is thus p…
Global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of a microalgae model for wastewater treatment.
2022
The results of a global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of a microalgae model applied to a Membrane Photobioreactor (MPBR) pilot plant were assessed. The main goals of this study were: (I) to identify the sensitivity factors of the model through the Morris screening method, i.e. the most influential factors; (II) to calibrate the influential factors online or offline; and (III) to assess the model's uncertainty. Four experimental periods were evaluated, which encompassed a wide range of environmental and operational conditions. Eleven influential factors (e.g. maximum specific growth rate, light intensity and maximum temperature) were identified in the model from a set of 34 kinetic pa…
Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment
2019
[EN] The operation of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor plant which treated the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was optimised. Biomass retention times of 4.5, 6, and 9 days were tested. At a biomass retention time of 4.5 days, maximum nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios, photosynthetic efficiencies and carbon biofixations of 51.7¿±¿14.3¿mg¿N·mol¿1, 4.4¿±¿1.6% and 0.50¿±¿0.05¿kg CO2·m3influent, respectively, were attained. Minimum membrane fouling rates were achieved when operating at the shortest biomass retention time because of the lower solid concentration and the negligible amount of cyanobacteria and protozoa. Hydraulic retention times of 3.5, 2, and 1.5 days …
On-line monitoring of photosynthetic activity based on pH data to assess microalgae cultivation
2020
[EN] Microalgae performance of outdoor cultivation systems is influenced by environmental and operating dynamics. Monitoring and control systems are needed to maximise biomass productivity and nutrient recovery. The goal of this work was to corroborate that pH data could be used to monitor microalgae performance by means of data from an outdoor membrane photobioreactor (MPBR) plant. In this system, microalgae photosynthetic activity was favoured over other physical and biological processes, so that the pH data dynamics was theoretically related to the microalgae carbon uptake rate (CUR). Shortand long-term continuous operations were tested to corroborate the relationship between the first d…
Continuous 3-year outdoor operation of a flat-panel membrane photobioreactor to treat effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor
2020
[EN] A membrane photobioreactor (MPBR) plant was operated continuously for 3 years to evaluate the separate effects of different factors, including: biomass and hydraulic retention times (BRT, HRT), light path (Lp), nitrification rate (NOxR), nutrient loading rates (NLR, PLR) and others. The overall effect of all these parameters which influence MPBR performance had not previously been assessed. The multivariate projection approach chosen for this study provided a good description of the collected data and facilitated their visualisation and interpretation. Forty variables used to control and assess MPBR performance were evaluated during three years of continuous outdoor operation by means …
Outdoor flat-panel membrane photobioreactor to treat the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Influence of operating, design, and environmen…
2018
[EN] As microalgae have the ability to simultaneously remove nutrients from wastewater streams while producing valuable biomass, microalgae-based wastewater treatment is a win-win strategy. Although recent advances have been made in this field in lab conditions, the transition to outdoor conditions on an industrial scale must be further investigated. In this work an outdoor pilot-scale membrane photobioreactor plant was operated for tertiary sewage treatment. The effects of different parameters on microalgae performance were studied including: temperature, light irradiance (solar and artificial irradiance), hydraulic retention time (HRT), biomass retention time (BRT), air sparging system an…
Improving membrane photobioreactor performance by reducing light path: operating conditions and key performance indicators
2020
[EN] Microalgae cultivation has been receiving increasing interest in wastewater remediation due to their ability to assimilate nutrients present in wastewater streams. In this respect, cultivating microalgae in membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) allows decoupling the solid retention time (SRT) from the hydraulic retention time (HRT), which enables to increase the nutrient load to the photobioreactors (PBRs) while avoiding the wash out of the microalgae biomass. The reduction of the PBR light path from 25 to 10 cm increased the nitrogen and phosphorus recovery rates, microalgae biomass productivity and photosynthetic efficiency by 150, 103, 194 and 67%, respectively.The areal biomass product…
Water resource recovery by means of microalgae cultivation in outdoor photobioreactors using the effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor fed w…
2016
[EN] With the aim of assessing the potential of microalgae cultivation for water resource recovery (WRR), the performance of three 0.55 m3 flat-plate photobioreactors (PBRs) was evaluated in terms of nutrient removal rate (NRR) and biomass production. The PBRs were operated outdoor (at ambient temperature and light intensity) using as growth media the nutrient-rich effluent from an AnMBR fed with pre-treated sewage. Solar irradiance was the most determining factor affecting NRR. Biomass productivity was significantly affected by temperatures below 20 °C. The maximum biomass productivity (52.3 mg VSS·L−1·d−1) and NRR (5.84 mg NH4-N·L−1·d−1 and 0.85 mg PO4-P·L−1·…