Production of Chlorella sp. in a Designed Photobioreactor

Abstract

Click here for manuscript sample template Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms which are recently grown to produce biomass for food, pharmaceutical, dye, and bioenergy industries. Microalgae are the carbon source found in crude oil and natural gas. Over the years, there have been several advances in the design and operation of closed photobioreactors for microalgal cultures based on new reactor geometries as well as optimized aeration and mixing strategies. Closed photobioreactors ensure heat control, and high production through effective use of high-intensity light and prevent contamination in microalgae production. One of the most important factors that control cell growth in a photobioreactor is light availability. In this study, cultivation of Chlorella sp ., as microalgae were performed in a specially designed photobioreactor for productivity analysis and the pigment capacity analysis. The applied light energy was kept constant while applying either continuous or intermittent lighting during the growth of microalgae. The cultivation parameters were tested to find the optimal light mode as the continuous light or 12h light/ 12h dark cycle to maximize pigment amount. In order to determine the pigment amount in the cultivated algae extraction was done. Then by using UV spectrophotometer amount of chlorophyll a and b were determined in the obtained extracts.