Hydrodynamic Analysis of the ACCORDION Photobioreactor for Microalgae Cultivation using Computational Dynamics Analysis
Authors: Andres Philip Mayol, Aristotle Ubando, Joel Cuello, and Alvin Culaba
Abstract
Photobioreactors are promising growth container for microalgae species used in various disciplines such as chemical, pharmaceutical, biochemical, and environmental engineering. In addition, it has the advantage for closed environment conditions. Microalgae are microorganisms that have promise in biotechnology and energy sector. However, certain problem arises in cultivating microalgae in conventional photobioreactors. The main problem is improper mixing of culture media and air/CO2 supply. Moreover, understanding the hydrodynamics of the photobioreactor aids a better reactor design using Computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This study aims to understand the hydrodynamics of the ACCORDION photobioreactor compared to the conventional airlift photobioreactor using CFD. Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model was used to simulate the fluid flow inside the PBR. Bubble size was set to 0.006m, and sparge inside a 6 ft. ACCORDION PBR system. Results showed that the design of the ACCORDION PBR system improved the mixing strategy of the culture media (liquid) and air/CO2 (gas). The CFD simulation of the ACCORDION PBR verified the goal of the design which is mixing. Results of this study shall aid in the design improvement of the ACCORDION photobioreactor system for microalgae cultivation.