Development a Novel Hexagonal Airlift Flat Plate Photobioreactor for the Improvement of Microalgae Growth That Simultaneously Enhance CO2 Bio-Fixation and Wastewater Treatment
Abstract
A novel hexagonal airlift flat plate (HAFP) photobioreactor was designed to improve microalgae growth rate and compared with traditional flat plate (TFP) photobioreactor. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was used to determine hydrodynamic parameters and optimal aeration rate in the photobioreactors. Additionally, the capability of the HAFP photobioreactor to enhance microalgae based CO 2 bio-fixation and wastewater treatment were investigated. The results of CFD simulation indicated that the HAFP photobioreactor could improve hydrodynamic parameters of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), average fluid velocity, dead zone (DZ), and water shear stress (WSS) up to 78 %, 41 %, 44 % and 40 %, respectively, under optimal aeration rate of 0.6 vvm. The proposed HAFP photobioreactor showed a drastic improvement in microalgae growth (up to 61 %). The maximum CO 2 removal of 53.8 % and bio-fixation of 0.85 g L-1 d-1 were achieved in the HAFP photobioreactor which were approximately 70 % more than that in the TFP photobioreactor. The results suggested that the HAFP photobioreactor could accelerate nutrients removal and achieve remarkably higher efficiencies of 91 %, 99 %, 97 % and 93 % of ammonia (NH 3), nitrate (NO 3-), phosphate (PO 43-) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) within seven days of cultivation.
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CFD simulations have been employed to optimize hydrodynamic characteristics and aeration rates within photobioreactor systems, enhancing CO2 capture efficiency.
“Additionally, CFD simulations have been employed to optimize the hydrodynamic characteristics and aeration rates within PBR systems, enhancing CO 2 capture efficiency [145,146].”
From A Review of Algae-Based Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (Algae-Based CCUS) (2024) · cites this paper as [145]
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- Authors
- Yaqoubnejad, P., Rad, H. A., & Taghavijeloudar, M.
- Affiliations
- Babol Noshirvani University of Technology (IR)
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Corresponding author
- Rad, Hassan Amini
- Taghavijeloudar, Mohsen
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Management
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-11
- Volume
- 298
- Pages
- 113482
- ISSN
- 0301-4797 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3192526761
- Cited by
- 103
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 3.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Management (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Babol Noshirvani University of Technology (19–449)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Fluid Dynamics and Mixing
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Keywords
- microalgae growth, wastewater treatment, hydrodynamic parameters, turbulent kinetic energy, dead zone, ammonia removal, nitrate removal, phosphate removal, COD removal
- MeSH terms
- Carbon Dioxide, Water Purification, Biomass, Microalgae, Photobioreactors, Wastewater
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