Photobioreactor

 A bioreactor is an installation for the production of

microorganisms outside their natural but inside an artificial
environment. The prefix "photo" particularly describes the bio-
reactor's property to cultivate phototrophic microorganisms, or
organisms which grow on by utilizing light energy.
 These organisms use the process of photosynthesis to build their
own biomass from light and carbon dioxide. Members of this
group are Plants, Mosses, Microalgae, Cyanobacteria and Purple
Bacteria.
 Photobioreactor or PBR, is the controlled supply of specific
environmental conditions for respective species.
 Photobioreactor allows much higher growth rates and purity levels
than anywhere in natural or habitats similar to nature.
TYPES OF PHOTOBIOREACTORS

TYPES OF PBR

OPEN SYSTEM CLOSED SYSTEMS

 OPEN SYSTEM
• The first method of controlled production of phototrophic species was to
use a natural open pond (also known as artificial raceway) pond.
• The cultivation suspension that has all of the essential nutrients and
carbon dioxide moved around in a continuous cycle that is illuminated
directly by sunlight through its surface.
• Raceway ponds continue to be employed in industries because of their
lower operational costs when compared with closed PBRs.
• They do however offer inadequate control over the reaction conditions
because they rely on light sources from the environment, and carbon
dioxide as well as the potential for contamination by other
microorganisms.
• Open technologies also cause water loss through evaporation into
atmosphere.

Figure: Open System of Photobioreactor

 CLOSED SYSTEMS
• Closed PBR construction reduces the risk of losses in water from the
system, and the chance of contamination is diminished.
• Although closed systems are more efficient in performance than open
systems because of the benefits mentioned above but they must be
upgraded to make them appropriate for the production of commodities
with low prices because cell density is still insufficient due to various
limitation aspects.
• Modern photobioreactors have attempted to achieve a balance with a
very thin film suspension of culture, optimal lighting, less use of energy
for pumps, and capital expense and the purity of the microbial
population
• However, light attenuation as well as an increase in CO2 demands with
the growth are two of the most likely changes to phototrophic cultures,
which severely limit the efficiency of photobioreactors.
• The accumulation of oxygen from photosynthetic sources as microalgae
grow in photobioreactors is believed to be a key element but it has been
demonstrated by using dynamic models that levels of dissolved oxygen
that exceed 400% air saturation aren't inhibiting when the cell density is
sufficiently high to block the light intensity in the later
• stages of microalgal culture. Numerous different methods have been
evaluated, however only a handful of approaches could be used on large
scale
TYPES OF CLOSED SYSTEMS
Types of Closed systems Photo bioreactors:
There are present Five types of Closed systems Photo
bioreactors such as;
• TUBULAR PHOTOBIOREACTORS
• CHRISTMAS TREE PHOTOBIOREACTOR
• PLATE PHOTOBIOREACTOR
• HORIZONTAL PHOTOBIOREACTOR
• FOIL PHOTOBIOREACTOR
ADVANTAGES OF PHOTO
BIOREACTORS
• There is no need for any other carbon resource
• It is suitable to perform large-scale applications.
• It is suitable to create high density and low density ones.
• It is possible to use microalgae for development in the open
air.
• Simple operation and maintenance.
• Low cost.
 ADVANTAGES OF PHOTO
BIOREACTORS
• Capital costs are very high.
• The production and productivity costs in certain enclosed
photobioreactor systems aren't much different from open-
pond bioreactors.
• The technical challenge in sterilization.