As integrated culture system for outdoor production of microalgae and cyanobacteria

Cultivation of microalgae in closed photobioreactors suffers from high temperatures, whereas in open raceway ponds the optimal temperature is seldom reached. With an integrated device coupling a raceway pond with a suitably sized and positioned closed system (alveolar panel), the heat accumulated in the panel was efficiently transferred to the pond and a near-optimum temperature regimen for Arthrospira platensis was maintained, with no need for any additional cooling device. The productivity obtained in the integrated system was higher than the sum of the productivities (g reactor−1 day−1) of the pond and panel systems operating separately.