Simulation of outdoor pond cultures using indoor LED-lighted and temperature-controlled raceway ponds and Phenometrics photobioreactors
Two innovative culturing systems, the LED-lighted and temperature-controlled 800 liter indoor raceways at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Phenometrics photobioreactors (ePBRs) were evaluated in terms of their ability to accurately simulate the microalgae growth performance of outdoor cultures subjected to fluctuating sunlight and water temperature conditions. When repeating a 60 day long outdoor pond culture experiment (batch and sem-continuous at two dilution rates) conducted in Arizona with the freshwater strain Chlorella sorokiniana DOE 1412 in these two indoor simulators, it was found that biomass growth and productivity in the PNNL climate-simulation ponds was comparatively slightly higher (10-15%) but significantly lower (52-62%) in the ePBRs. Similarly, when the marine Picochlorum sp. was cultured in six replicate ePBRs at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and duplicate climate-simulation ponds at PNNL, using the same inoculum, medium, culture depth, and light and temperature scripts, the biomass productivity in the ePBRs was only about 65% of that observed in PNNL’s indoor ponds. Potential reasons for the divergence in growth performance in these pond simulators, relative to outdoor raceways, are discussed. In conclusion, the PNNL climate-simulation ponds provide reasonably reliable biomass productivity estimates for microalgae strains cultured in outdoor raceways under different climatic conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
- Grant/Contract Number:
- EE0003046; AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1393716
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1357134; OSTI ID: 1361967
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-17-21029; PNNL-SA-117542; S2211926416306750; PII: S2211926416306750
- Journal Information:
- Algal Research, Journal Name: Algal Research Vol. 21 Journal Issue: C; ISSN 2211-9264
- Publisher:
- ElsevierCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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