Designing a cost-effective photobioreactor

This project was supervised by Dr. Akhilendra Pratap Singh, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-BHU. Global emissions of CO2 are increasing day by day, from 390 million tons in 2010 to 2.9 billion tons in 2020. Global green chemistry studies have proven greenhouse emissions to be reusable sources for energy production. Different methods have been investigated to capture CO2, the prime effluent, which include techniques like the anionic resin exchange method, MEA absorptive solutions and electrochemical conversion. Withstanding the fact that microalgae are poorly explored, their cultivation can take place independent of external conditions and also would convert solar energy more efficiently. They also stand in great advantage in comparison with higher plants; they do not require fertile soil, produce a wide range of substances, and can be used for different applications. Some of these species reproduce very fast, so these organisms present a remarkable self-renewing source of biomass and certain compounds. The amount of algal biomass produced will be critical in determining the overall economics of CO2 capture for the chosen method. This project puts forward a novel photobioreactor concept designed for the efficient utilisation of algae as a bioresource for energy production. The design was made to be potentially replicated at an industrial level. The bioreactor was designed using the AutoDesk Fusion360 software. The goal of the present study is to investigate the production of algal biomass in photobioreactors from an energy perspective and to understand the most important economic factors that impact the viability of microalgae for CO2 capture and reuse. The algae thus produced can be further employed in the production of biodiesel, biopolymers, feed, and medicines. The project is currently in the manufacturing stage as it was difficult to get the acrylic pipes and cultured micro-algae required.

More details about the project can be found in this presentation. A Novel Photobioreactor for CO2 absorption_Adrija.pptx