Research on algae growing in open system with cascade-type installation

Abstract

Algae represent an important natural resource that can be capitalized in the human economy being used in food, as organic fertilizers and as a raw material for the production of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, alternative fuels, etc. The paper presents the results of the laboratory research carried out with a cascade type pilot installation for algae growing in open system. The installation typically has one or more transparent plane reactors, arranged in cascade, a collecting compartment, lighting system, stirring system, algal culture recirculation system to ensure the development conditions. Algae culture slips in a thin layer (<40 mm) on transparent panels that favour direct solar irradiance, easy heat dissipation, easy cleaning and maintenance. Bold Basal Medium (BBM) was used to ensure the culture with the nutrients needed for mineral nutrition and the concentration of the constituent substances was carefully monitored throughout the experiments. To study the algae culture growth rate, we measured and analysed mainly the cell density, dynamic viscosity, the pH of the nutrient medium, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, determinations with a photospectrometer, under different environmental conditions created by the lighting regime and the ambient temperature. The research was aimed at obtaining algal biomass, considered renewable energy that provides biofuels, with a simple installation, by virtue of its construction, and adaptable to various environmental conditions.