Design and Test of a Low-Cost RGB Sensor for Online Measurement of Microalgae Concentration within a Photo-Bioreactor

In this study, a low-cost RGB sensor is developed to measure online the microalgae concentration within a photo-bioreactor. Two commercially available devices, i.e., a spectrophotometer for offline measurements and an immersed probe for online measurements, are used for calibration and comparison purposes. Furthermore, the potential of such a sensor for estimating other variables is illustrated with the design of an extended Luenberger observer.

[1]  J. Hobbie,et al.  Use of nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy , 1977, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[2]  Thomas Rausch,et al.  The estimation of micro-algal protein content and its meaning to the evaluation of algal biomass I. Comparison of methods for extracting protein , 1981, Hydrobiologia.

[3]  M. A. Perez,et al.  A NEW, LOW-COST, ON-LINE RGB COLORIMETER FOR WINE INDUSTRY BASED ON OPTICAL FIBERS , 2009 .

[4]  R D MacElroy,et al.  Effects of Salts on the Halophilic Alga Dunaliella viridis , 1968, Journal of bacteriology.

[5]  Pierre Masci,et al.  Modelling neutral lipid production by the microalga Isochrysis aff. galbana under nitrogen limitation. , 2011, Bioresource technology.

[6]  Philipp Mayer,et al.  A simple in vitro fluorescence method for biomass measurements in algal growth inhibition tests. (Abstract No. PWP187) , 1997 .

[7]  K. Wiltshire,et al.  The determination of algal biomass (as chlorophyll) in suspended matter from the Elbe estuary and the German Bight: A comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography, delayed fluorescence and prompt fluorescence methods , 1998 .

[8]  J. Lofberg,et al.  YALMIP : a toolbox for modeling and optimization in MATLAB , 2004, 2004 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37508).

[9]  E. Becker.  Microalgae: Biotechnology and Microbiology , 1994 .

[10]  F. J. Holler,et al.  Principles of Instrumental Analysis , 1973 .

[11]  José Luis Sánchez-Rojas,et al.  Optoelectronic sensor device for monitoring the maceration of red wine: Design issues and validation , 2015 .

[12]  Olivier Bernard,et al.  Nonlinear observers for a class of biological systems: application to validation of a phytoplanktonic growth model , 1998, IEEE Trans. Autom. Control..

[13]  Hamzah Arof,et al.  Current Developments In Optical Fiber Technology , 2014 .

[14]  M. R. Droop,et al.  Vitamin B12 and marine ecology , 1970, Helgoländer wissenschaftliche Meeresuntersuchungen.

[15]  Daniel Coutinho,et al.  A Robust H∞ Quasi-LPV Approach for Designing Nonlinear Observers , 2010 .

[16]  Miguel A. Pérez,et al.  Optical Fiber Sensors for Chemical and Biological Measurements , 2013 .

[17]  F. Malcata,et al.  On‐Line Determination of Biomass in a Microalga Bioreactor Using a Novel Computerized Flow Injection Analysis System , 2002, Biotechnology progress.

[18]  Q. Hu,et al.  Microalgal triacylglycerols as feedstocks for biofuel production: perspectives and advances. , 2008, The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology.

[19]  M. R. Droop,et al.  Vitamin B12 and Marine Ecology. IV. The Kinetics of Uptake, Growth and Inhibition in Monochrysis Lutheri , 1968, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

[20]  Jos F. Sturm,et al.  A Matlab toolbox for optimization over symmetric cones , 1999 .

[21]  Seok Won Hong,et al.  Development of a photoelectrochemical sensor for monitoring algal biomass (Chlorella vulgaris) , 2013 .

[22]  Alberto J. Palma,et al.  Measuring the colour of virgin olive oils in a new colour scale using a low-cost portable electronic device , 2012 .

[23]  Y. Chisti.  Biodiesel from microalgae. , 2007, Biotechnology advances.

[24]  C. Dussap,et al.  Growth monitoring of a photosynthetic micro-organism (Spirulina platensis) by pressure measurement , 2004, Biotechnology Letters.