Numerical Simulation of Light/Dark Cycle Frequency of Microalgae Fluid in a Helical Tubular Photobioreactor for Carbon Dioxide Capture

In the present study, three-dimensional numerical simulations are conducted on hydrodynamics and light-intensity distribution of microalgae fluid flow in a helical tubular photobioreactor for CO₂ capture. The effect of incident direction of the light illumination is discussed and the light/dark cycle frequency experienced by the microalgae fluid in the cross-section of the photobioreactor is investigated. The simulation results reveal the steadily nonhorizontal and unsymmetrical Dean roll-cells of the microalgae fluid flow in the cross-section of the helical tube. The external light projecting onto the helical tubular photobioreactor from the center is a better way for microalgae cultivation. The light/dark cycle frequency of the microalgae fluid flow is calculated based on the light-intensity distribution inside the photobioreactor. The light/dark cycle frequency keeps constant for the same stream trace of the microalgae flow while varies with different flow regions. Meanwhile, the light/dark cycle frequency increases with the increase in microalgae fluid velocity. The suitable demarcation between the light and the dark zone depends on the shape and the location of the Dean roll-cells.     

光合产氢-膜曝气生物膜反应器耦合系统产氢与底物降解特性

为提高光合产氢反应器性能,构建了一种采用沼泽红假单胞菌CQK01接种的光生物产氢-膜曝气生物膜反应器（PBR-MABR）耦合系统。实验表明,在序批培养条件下,由于产氢过程中有机酸和氢离子不断积累,使得PBR系统的产氢速率远低于PBR-MABR系统,其产氢速率为0.49 mmol·（L·h）-1;而PBR-MABR、PBR-2MABRs和PBR-3MABRs的产氢速率则分别可达到0.61、0.76和0.85 mmol·（L·h）-1。这主要是由于有机酸被MABR中的透气膜上生长的生物膜不断降解所致。有机酸的降解不仅提高了耦合系统内pH值并在一定程度上缓解了体系中的产物抑制。     

光生物反应器中活性污泥和藻类的共培养及微生物群落分析

利用污水处理厂好氧池活性污泥和来自二沉池壁的藻类构成菌藻生物反应器用以处理实际生活废水,探讨了不同泥藻接种比对废水处理效果的影响,并分析了稳定运行后的微生物群落组成。结果表明：泥/藻质量比为1∶0.75的混合系统对污染物质(COD、TN和TP)的去除效率最高;当HRT为2 d时,按泥/藻质量比为1∶0.75接种的光生物反应器(初始TSS为1.12 g·L−1)在搅拌和太阳光照射的条件下,对${{rm{NH}}_4^ + }$-N的去除率可达99.7%,对${{rm{PO}}_4^{3 - }}$的去除率约为70%。利用高通量测序技术对运行42 d后反应器内(SRT为15 d)的细菌群落进行分析发现,优势细菌为厚壁菌门的微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium),蓝菌门的光合产氧蓝细菌属(Cyanobium)和变形菌门α-变形菌纲的不产氧光合好氧异养固氮红杆菌属(Rhodobacter),其相对丰度分别为23.32%、15.23%和5.77%。同时,反应器内还存在氧化亚硝酸盐的硝化螺旋菌(Nitrospira),以及除磷的不动杆菌(Acinetobacter)和能进行好氧反硝化的副球菌(Paracoccus),其相对丰度分别为1.19%、0.58%和0.35%。     

培养藻类制取生物能源的研究

能源紧张和环境污染是全世界所面临的共同问题,用藻类替代传统作物生产生物能源是生物质能的重要发展方向之一。文章介绍了国内外对藻类培养条件、光生物反应器型式、藻类基因工程、藻细胞收集方法以及能源藻类生产系统的研究成果。研究认为,以藻类为原料生产生物燃料具有良好的发展前景,并指出了今后能源藻类生长的重点研究方向。     

内置LED光源平板型光生物反应器用于微藻培养

为降低光生物反应器(PBR)的光照能耗和提高微藻对光能的利用效率,自制了内置LED光源的平板型光生物反应器,用于绿藻普通小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)的培养和CO2生物固定.评价了这种新型反应器的进气CO2浓度对生物质产率(BP)、CO2固定速率( )和油脂产率(LP)的影响.经过10d连续培养后,与通入空气的对照组相比,浓度1%~10%的CO2均明显促进微藻生长,BP [0.258和0.263g/(L?d)]、最大 [1.18、1.00gCO2/(L?d)]和指数生长期平均 [0.57、0.62gCO2/(L?d)]的高值均出现在CO2 1%、2.5%处理组中.较高浓度(5%、10%)CO2在培养初期造成酸化现象,导致藻细胞密度和生物量较低.CO2浓度变化对微藻总脂含量(17.81%~23.13%)影响较小,以CO2 2.5%条件下得到微藻油脂产率最大[60.71mg/(L?d)].本研究证明,所设计的平板型PBR能够高效培养用于CO2固定和生物柴油原料生产的微藻.     

光生物反应器培养紫球藻及藻粉降血脂的研究

研究了搅拌式光生物反应器中搅拌速度、通气量对紫球藻生长、胞外多糖和藻细胞超微结构的影响．实验结果表明：在特定光照(1000μmolm^-2s^-1)和培养温度(25℃)条件下，当搅拌转速为200r／min、通气量为0．71vvm时，藻生长速度和胞外多糖含量最高；增加通气量有利于藻细胞胞外多糖及生物量的提高．对藻细胞超微结构的观察发现，与摇床培养相比，搅拌式光生物反应器使藻细胞淀粉颗粒明显增多，粘质鞘层变薄，光合片层增多．动物实验表明，紫球藻能明显降低摄食高脂饲料SD大鼠血脂TC、TG、LDL-C水平，并提高HDL-C含量．实验结果预示，紫球藻对预防动脉粥样硬化和冠心病的发生有一定的意义．图2表3参26     

固定化藻菌流化床光生物反应器处理饮料废水

在自制的流化床光生物反应器中加入固定化藻菌小球来处理饮料废水,主要探讨了反应器中气速、液速以及固定化藻菌小球密度对系统去处效率的影响。在平均停留时间为6h,光照强度为4000lx,温度为室温,试验结果表明:COD的去除率最高可达到91.8%,NH+4-N的去除率最高可达到89.4%,对BOD、PO43--P的去除率也达到较好的效果,分别达到72.1%～85.5%和59.5%～68.0%。     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Mitigation and Renewable Oil from Photosynthetic Microbes: A New Appraisal

The only major strategy now being seriously considered for biological mitigation of atmospheric CO₂ relies entirely on terrestrial plants. Photosynthetic microbes were the focus of similar consideration in the 1990s. However, two major government-sponsored research programs in Japan and the USA concluded that the requisite technology was not feasible, and those programs were terminated after investing US$117 million and US$25 million, respectively. We report here on the results of a privately funded US$20 million program that has engineered, built, and successfully operated a commercial-scale (2 ha), modular, production system for photosynthetic microbes. The production system couples photobioreactors with open ponds in a two-stage process – a combination that was suggested, but never attempted – and has operated continuously for several years to produce Haematococcus pluvialis. The annually averaged rate of achieved microbial oil production from H. pluvialis is equivalent to <420 GJ ha ^-1 yr^-1, which exceeds the most optimistic estimates of biofuel production from plantations of terrestrial ``energy crops.' The maximum production rate achieved to date is equivalent to 1014 GJ ha^-1 yr^-1. We present evidence to demonstrate that a rate of 3200 GJ ha^-1 yr^-1 is feasible using species with known performance characteristics under conditions that prevail in the existing production system. At this rate, it is possible to replace reliance on current fossil fuel usage equivalent to ∼300 EJ yr^-1 – and eliminate fossil fuel emissions of CO₂ of ∼6.5 GtC yr^-1 – using only 7.3% of the surplus arable land projected to be available by 2050. By comparison, most projections of biofuels production from terrestrial energy crops would require in excess of 80% of surplus arable land. Oil production cost is estimated at $84/bbl, assuming no improvements in current technology. We suggest enhancements that could reduce cost to $50/bbl or less.     

微藻驱动的好氧甲烷氧化耦合反硝化光生物膜反应器的脱氮性能

为解决传统污水处理脱氮过程中额外投加碳源成本高与污水尾水中硝酸盐残留等问题,利用微藻原位产氧形成微氧环境,建立了无须机械供氧的藻菌光生物膜反应器,在不抑制反硝化过程的同时,将好氧甲烷氧化与反硝化耦合,实现污水深度脱氮。探讨了序批式光生物膜反应器的脱氮效率和长期运行的稳定性,并对相关微生物活性和群落组成及功能基因进行分析。结果表明:藻菌光生物膜反应器稳定运行了约50 d,NO^-₃-N去除率稳定在25 mg/(L·d),脱氮效率达到95%,且无亚硝酸盐积累和NH⁺₄-N生成。活性试验显示,反应器中亚硝酸盐反硝化速率高于硝酸盐反硝化速率,且内碳源反硝化对氮的去除有一定积极影响。高通量测序发现,反应器中主要存在真核藻类[小球藻属(Chlorella, 32.45%)和蓝细菌(Pantanalinema_CENA516,3.95%)]、甲烷氧化菌[甲基暖菌属(Methylocaldum, 1.39%)]和反硝化菌[热单胞菌属(Thermomonas, 20.32%)、斯塔普氏菌属(Stappia, 7.24%)和生丝微菌属(Hyphomicrobium, 2.34%)]等功能微生物,宏基因组数据进一步明晰了相应的功能基因组成。综上,将甲烷作为唯一碳源,实现了污水中NO^-₃-N的有效去除,为传统污水脱氮处理提供了一种新范式,对于污水的低碳、高效脱氮处理有重要意义。