Growth of Green Microalgae Strain in Torus Photobioreactor

Abstract

In this work, the growth of a green microalgae strain in a referenced torus photobioreactor equipped with a data acquisition system was studied. The monitoring of the microalgal growth was carried out by the measurement of optical density, cell concentration and pH measurement. The culture was carried out under fixed operating conditions, as temperature, gaz flowrate and light intensity. The obtained specific growth rate during exponential phase of cultivation was 0.167 d-1. After a continuous photoperiod of two weeks, the biomass was valorized through its lipids content (an average value of 20%). The obtained results reveal the presence of a wide variety of fatty acids that are essential for conversion into biodiesel. Also, a better understanding of the behavior of the studied microalgae during its culture in torus photobioreactor was provided.