"Innovative Technologies in Microalgae Cultivation: From Photobioreactors to Final Products"
Technological Process
Photobioreactor-Incubator
- In the photobioreactor-incubator filled with osmosis water, nutrients are added, and the required strain of microalgae is introduced. During the growth process in the incubator, the microalgae feed on carbon dioxide from the air.
- After reaching the required concentration of microalgae, the inoculum (a suspension of cells used as the starting material for cell culture and used for inoculating the growth medium) is directed to photobioreactors filled with osmosis water, whose chemical composition ensures the maximum growth rate of microalgae.
Photobioreactors
- In the photobioreactors, the prepared water with nutrients is mixed with the inoculum.
- The resulting water-algae suspension is saturated with the required amount of carbon dioxide. The lighting structure, designed for optimal lamp placement and spectrum selection, promotes effective photosynthesis carried out by the microalgae.
Growth and Separation
- In the photobioreactors, during their growth, microalgae, thanks to the combination of nutrient feeding recipes, receive a growth boost and begin to divide and grow rapidly.
- After the microalgae reach maximum biomass growth, the specified volume of algae suspension is automatically fed into a centrifuge, where water is separated and returned with nutrients to the internal volume of the photobioreactors.
- The partially dehydrated microalgae biomass with a moisture content of 85-90% is sent to a vacuum freeze dryer to obtain the final product - dry microalgae biomass.
Production of the Final Product:
The obtained dry microalgae biomass can be directed to appropriate equipment for the production of tablets or capsules from microalgae.
