Conversion of radiant light energy in photobioreactors
Abstract
Abstract The conversion of radiant light energy into chemical affinity by microorganisms in photobioreactors is examined. The kinetics of entropy production in the system is theoretically established from entropy and energy balances for the material and photonic phases in the reactor. A negative chemical affinity term compensated for by a radiant energy term at a higher level of energy characterizes photosynthetic organisms. The local volumetric rate of radiant light energy absorbed, which appears in the dissipation function as an irreversible term, is calculated for monodimensional approximations providing analytical solutions and for general tridimensional equations requiring the solution of a new numerical algorithm. Solutions for the bluegreen alga Spirulina platensis cultivated in photoreactors with different geometries and light energy inputs are compared. Thermodynambic efficiency of the photosynthesis is calculated. The highest value of 15% found for low radiant energy absorption rates corresponds to a maximum quantum yield in the reactor.
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Analytical approximations of the one-dimensional RTE exist, which allow a more accurate consideration of the absorption and scattering characteristics of microalgae cells.
“Although not being listed in Table 1, it should be stated that analytical approximations of the one-dimensional RTE exist, which allow a more accurate consideration of the absorption and scattering characteristics of microalgae cells [129-132].”
From Modeling and Simulation of Photobioreactors with Computational Fluid Dynamics—A Comprehensive Review (2022) · cites this paper as [131]
Cornet et al. applied the 2-flux approximation to light transfer in photobioreactors and derived an analytical solution of the RTE in one dimension under the assumption of isotropic scattering and one-sided light emission.
“Cornet et al. [129,131] applied this approximation to light transfer in photobioreactors and derived an analytical solution of the RTE in one dimension under the assumption of isotropic scattering and one-sided light emission.”
From Modeling and Simulation of Photobioreactors with Computational Fluid Dynamics—A Comprehensive Review (2022) · cites this paper as [131]
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- Authors
- Cornet, J. F., Dussap, C. G., & Gros, J. B.
- Affiliations
- Université Blaise Pascal (FR)
- Venue
- AIChE Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1994-06
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1055-1066
- ISSN
- 0001-1541 (ISSN-L)
- 1547-5905
- OpenAlex
- W2069215812
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- AIChE Journal (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- European Space Agency
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Fluid Dynamics and Mixing
- Keywords
- photobioreactors, entropy production, radiant energy absorption, Spirulina platensis, cyanobacteria, quantum yield, reactor geometry
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