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Application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) on the raceway design for the cultivation of microalgae: a review

  • Fermentation, Cell Culture and Bioengineering - Mini Review
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

Microalgae are a potential solution to supersede fossil fuels and produce renewable energy. The major obstacle to the commercialization of microalgae-based biofuels is the high production cost, including nutritional requirements, photobioreactor design, and downstream processes. As for the photobioreactor design, open ponds have been adopted by major commercial plants for their economic advantages. Raceway is a popular type among open ponds. Nevertheless, the fluid dynamics of the raceway operation is quite complex. Software simulation based on Computational Fluid Dynamics is an upcoming strategy for optimizing raceway design. The optimization intends to affect light penetration, particle distribution, mass transfer, and biological kinetics. This review discusses how this strategy can be helpful to design a highly productive raceway pond-based microalgal culture system.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this study received from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) under Grant nos. MOST 105-2621-M-029-003-MY2 and 104-2628-E-029-003-MY3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Adi Kusmayadi & Hong-Wei Yen

  2. Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

    Eko Agus Suyono

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

    Dillirani Nagarajan & Jo-Shu Chang

  4. Developmental Center for Circular Resources and Valorization Technology, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Jo-Shu Chang

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  1. Adi Kusmayadi
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  2. Eko Agus Suyono
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  3. Dillirani Nagarajan
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  5. Hong-Wei Yen
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Correspondence to Hong-Wei Yen.

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Kusmayadi, A., Suyono, E.A., Nagarajan, D. et al. Application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) on the raceway design for the cultivation of microalgae: a review. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 47, 373–382 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-020-02273-9

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