Absorption of CO2 in algal mass culture systems: A different characterization approach

For the characterization of CO2 absorption in aerated microalgal culture systems, a different approach based on KLa(O2) determination and transformation was studied. To confirm the validity of this method, the influence of reactions between CO2 and compounds (OH−, H2O, and NH3) present in the culture medium upon the absorption mechanism was evaluated under different physical and chemical culture conditions. Under these conditions, knowledge of the relative magnitudes of the diffusion and reaction kinetics permitted the evaluation of their relative importance. For the determination of the parameters required for the calculation of the CO2 absorption constant, empirical correlations for K  L0 and a were used that had been previously verified with experimental data for O2 absorption. Since, for the conditions studied, the absorption rate was shown to be independent of the chemical reactions taking place in the liquid phase, the KLa for CO2 could be directly related to the KLa for O2 by a simple factor that took into account the difference in aqueous diffusivity of the two gases. Thus, using methods developed for determining O2 absorption in gas–liquid contactors, it is possible to adequately characterize CO2 absorption for laboratory and pilot scale algal production systems.

[1]  A. Prokop,et al.  Review of Methods for the Measurement of Oxygen Transfer in Microbial Systems , 1982 .

[2]  S. Asai,et al.  Gas absorption with a two-step chemical reaction , 1976 .

[3]  G. A. Hughmark,et al.  Holdup and Mass Transfer in Bubble Columns , 1967 .

[4]  F. Roughton,et al.  The catalytic effect of buffers on the reaction CO2+H2O⇌H2CO3 , 1938 .

[5]  Herbert Märkl,et al.  CO2 Transport and photosynthetic productivity of a continuous culture of algae , 1977 .

[6]  M. Moo-young,et al.  The continuous phase heat and mass transfer properties of dispersions , 1961 .

[7]  J. C. Goldman,et al.  Inorganic carbon sources and biomass regulation in intensive microalgal cultures , 1981 .

[8]  H. Guterman,et al.  Exchange rates of O2 and CO2 between an algal culture and atmosphere , 1987 .

[9]  Yatish T. Shah,et al.  Design parameters estimations for bubble column reactors , 1982 .

[10]  M. Spalding.  Photosynthesis and photorespiration in freshwater green algae , 1989 .

[11]  Udo Dr Oels,et al.  Gasanteil, Stofftransportgeschwindigkeitskoeffizient und spezifische Phasengrenzfläche in Gleichstrom-Blasensäulen† , 1976 .

[12]  Irving Leibson,et al.  Rate of flow and mechanics of bubble formation from single submerged orifices. I. Rate of flow studies , 1956 .

[13]  L. Pearson,et al.  The kinetics of combination of carbon dioxide with ammonia , 1956 .

[14]  J. A. Quinn,et al.  Carbon dioxide exchange at the air‐sea interface: Flux augmentation by chemical reaction , 1971 .

[15]  K. Riet,et al.  Review of Measuring Methods and Results in Nonviscous Gas-Liquid Mass Transfer in Stirred Vessels , 1979 .

[16]  M. L. Jackson,et al.  Pressure Aeration in a 55-Ft Bubble Column , 1975 .

[17]  C. Wilke,et al.  Simultaneous measurement of interfacial area and mass transfer coefficients for a well—mixed gas dispersion in aqueous electrolyte solutions , 1974 .

[18]  Kiyomi Akita,et al.  Bubble Size, Interfacial Area, and Liquid-Phase Mass Transfer Coefficient in Bubble Columns , 1974 .

[19]  Fumitake Yoshida,et al.  Aeration and Mixing in Fermentation , 1982 .

[20]  H. Guterman,et al.  A new experimental technique for validating exchange models of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and sea-water. , 1984, Talanta.

[21]  P. Tapie,et al.  Microalgae production: Technical and economic evaluations , 1988, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[22]  J. Štěpánek,et al.  Simultaneous measurement of interfacial area and mass transfer coefficient in three-phase fluidized beds , 1980 .

[23]  A. Dauta.  Conditions de développement du phytoplancton. Etude comparative du comportement de huit espèces en culture. I. Détermination des paramètres de croissance en fonction de la lumière et de la température , 1982 .

[24]  L. Pearson,et al.  The kinetics of combination of carbon dioxide with hydroxide ions , 1956 .

[25]  D. Kern.  The hydration of carbon dioxide , 1960 .

[26]  B. Colman.  Photosynthetic carbon assimilation and the suppression of photorespiration in the cyanobacteria , 1989 .