Micro algae production as a source of fatty biomass that can be used to produce biofuels is a promising alternative that needs to be thoroughly evaluated. The tendency to increase production and energy content and to reduce water usage has had an impact in the development of photobioreactors, due to the versatility of this equipment to control and optimize the production parameters. This system requires an adequate scheme for monitoring and controlling the variables such as temperature, light intensity, carbon dioxide and oxygen supply, in order to guarantee the micro algae growth. This paper presents a control strategy for algae growth in an airlift photobioreactor. A thermodynamic characterization was performed and the dynamic behavior of the system is modeled for system analysis and control. A mathematical model is developed using the equations describing the process. A PID controller is set to evaluate the parameters that control algae growth. The results show that the photobioreactor presents a substantial sensitivity to room temperature changes, and this is considered as the main disturbance of the process. For the dynamic characterization a non-linear differential equations-based model was developed, and after tuning a PID controller it was found that the system was robust to changes in ambient conditions.
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ASME 2011 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
August 7–10, 2011
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Advanced Energy Systems Division and Solar Energy Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-5468-6
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Thermodynamic Characterization and Dynamic Simulation of a Micro Algae Air Lift Photobioreactor
Adrian Avila,
Adrian Avila
Universidad Pontifi´cia Bolivariana, Monteri´a, Colombia
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Antonio Bula,
Antonio Bula
Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
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Rafael Go´mez,
Rafael Go´mez
Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
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Jorge Mendoza,
Jorge Mendoza
Universidad Pontifi´cia Bolivariana, Monteri´a, Colombia
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Arnaldo Verdeza
Arnaldo Verdeza
Universidad Pontifi´cia Bolivariana, Monteri´a, Colombia
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Adrian Avila
Universidad Pontifi´cia Bolivariana, Monteri´a, Colombia
Antonio Bula
Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
Rafael Go´mez
Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
Jorge Mendoza
Universidad Pontifi´cia Bolivariana, Monteri´a, Colombia
Arnaldo Verdeza
Universidad Pontifi´cia Bolivariana, Monteri´a, Colombia
Paper No:
ES2011-54662, pp. 1167-1173; 7 pages
Published Online:
March 13, 2012
Citation
Avila, A, Bula, A, Go´mez, R, Mendoza, J, & Verdeza, A. "Thermodynamic Characterization and Dynamic Simulation of a Micro Algae Air Lift Photobioreactor." Proceedings of the ASME 2011 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability. ASME 2011 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Parts A, B, and C. Washington, DC, USA. August 7–10, 2011. pp. 1167-1173. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/ES2011-54662
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