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Comparing the performances of circular ponds with different impellers by CFD simulation and microalgae culture experiments

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Abstract

In this study, a numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to investigate the hydrodynamic characteristics of circular ponds with three different impellers (hydrofoil, four-pitched-blade turbine, and grid plate). The reliability of the CFD model was validated by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Hydrodynamic analyses were conducted to evaluate the average velocity magnitude along the light direction (U z), turbulence properties, average shear stress, pressure loss and the volume percentage of dead zone inside circular ponds. The simulation results showed that U z value of hydrofoil was 58.9, 40.3, and 28.8 % higher than those of grid plate with single arm, grid plate with double arms and four-pitched blade turbines in small-scale circular ponds, respectively. In addition, hydrofoil impeller with down-flow operation had outstanding mixing characteristics. Lastly, the results of Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultivation experiments indicated that the biomass concentration of hydrofoil impeller with down-flow operation was 65.2 and 88.8 % higher than those of grid plate with double arms and four-pitched-blade turbine, respectively. Therefore, the optimal circular pond mixing system for microalgae cultivation involved a hydrofoil impeller with down-flow operation.

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Abbreviations

D :

Diameter of impellers (m)

T :

Diameter of circular ponds (m)

W :

Width of baffles (mm)

e :

Thickness of baffles (mm)

W 0 :

Distance between the end of baffles and the wall of ponds (mm)

h 0 :

Depth of deionized water (mm)

\(\alpha ,\;\beta ,\;\gamma\) :

Inclination angle to agitation axis for different impellers (°)

C :

Distance between the end of the impeller and the bottom of the circular pond (mm)

V tip :

Impeller tip velocity (m s−1)

U z :

Average velocity magnitude along the light direction (m s−1)

N :

Rotation speed (rpm)

z :

The height of liquid (m)

R :

Radial distance (m)

\(C_{\text{s1}} ,\;C_{\text{s2}}\) :

Coefficient in k-ε equation

\(\alpha_{\text{k}} ,\;\alpha_{\varepsilon }\) :

Coefficient in k-ε equation

TKE:

Turbulent kinetic energy (J kg−1)

D z :

The volume percentage of dead zone (%)

Pv:

Power per unit volume (w m−3)

Η :

Error of measured parameters and simulation setting values (%)

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by National Basic Research Program China (973 Program: 2011CB200903).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Mail Box 301, Shanghai, 200237, People’s Republic of China

    Chen Meng, Chunyu Ye, Wenchao Cheng & Jianpei Chen

  2. State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong Road 130, Mail Box 373, Shanghai, 200237, People’s Republic of China

    Jianke Huang & Yuanguang Li

Authors
  1. Chen Meng
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  2. Jianke Huang
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Correspondence to Jianpei Chen or Yuanguang Li.

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Meng, C., Huang, J., Ye, C. et al. Comparing the performances of circular ponds with different impellers by CFD simulation and microalgae culture experiments. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 38, 1347–1363 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-015-1376-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-015-1376-9

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