The effect of modification photobioreactor bubble columns by using horizontal baffle on bubble velocity for microalgae

Abstract

Photobioreactor is a system with light passing through a rectangular airlift reactor wall for Microalgae. Photobioreactors used to increase productivity of microalgae biomass. The purpose of this study is to determine the best form between modification of bubble column photobioreactors using horizontal baffles with triple segmental compared to bubble column configurations without using horizontal baffles and to know bubble velocity to maximize photobioreactor productivity. Bubbles velocity data was taken using a high-speed camera on each photobioreactors in the incoming discharge variable that processed with image processing by using the Fiji / imageJ application and PIVlab. Based on the results of the study, the best velocity results were 0.23 m / s at 1 LPM discharge with bubble size according to sauter mean diameter of 750 μm which was used in the photobioreactor with modified baffle.