Methods in Molecular Biology (2020) 1980: 1–8
DOI 10.1007/7651_2018_130
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2018
Published online: 27 Feburary 2018
Large Scale Cultivation of Microalgae: Open and Closed
Systems
Jacqueline Jerney and Kristian Spilling
Abstract
There are two main approaches for cultivating microalgae on a large scale: open or closed cultivation.
The main difference between open and closed systems is related to how they operate (e.g., cooling and gas
exchange), vulnerability for outside influence (e.g., rainwater and introduction of unwanted species), and
costs for building and operating the system. In this chapter we introduce the main cultivation technologies
and discuss their main advantages and disadvantages when cultivating microalgae.
Keywords Gas exchange, Growth medium, Photobioreactor, Raceway pond
1 Introduction
In order to cultivate microalgae successfully on a large scale, several
problems arise, which are not relevant on a small scale: (1) It
becomes more difficult to ensure equal light distribution and mixing in large volumes of culture. A good light distribution and/or
effective mixing of the culture are crucial to ensure maximal productivity. (2) Another challenge is sufficient gas exchange with
increasing size of the system: providing sufficient CO 2 for photosynthesis and removal of O 2 produced in this process. (3) Furthermore, soluble algal products, which are released by microalgal cells
into the culture medium during cultivation, can be a problem.
These compounds may accumulate in the culture medium and
may inhibit microalgal growth, raise the cost of microalgal recovery,
and lower the performance of the downstream discharged water
treatment process after microalgal cultivation [1]. In addition to
problems associated with the cultivation itself, harvesting of the
produced biomass can be very challenging, because separation of
the biomass from the culture medium can be expensive and energy
consuming. There are several different options to grow algae on a
larger scale, depending on the purpose of cultivation and application of the algae biomass. Differences between cultivation technologies range from cost, productivity, and controllability of the
cultivation system.
1
DOI 10.1007/7651_2018_130
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2018
Published online: 27 Feburary 2018
Large Scale Cultivation of Microalgae: Open and Closed
Systems
Jacqueline Jerney and Kristian Spilling
Abstract
There are two main approaches for cultivating microalgae on a large scale: open or closed cultivation.
The main difference between open and closed systems is related to how they operate (e.g., cooling and gas
exchange), vulnerability for outside influence (e.g., rainwater and introduction of unwanted species), and
costs for building and operating the system. In this chapter we introduce the main cultivation technologies
and discuss their main advantages and disadvantages when cultivating microalgae.
Keywords Gas exchange, Growth medium, Photobioreactor, Raceway pond
1 Introduction
In order to cultivate microalgae successfully on a large scale, several
problems arise, which are not relevant on a small scale: (1) It
becomes more difficult to ensure equal light distribution and mixing in large volumes of culture. A good light distribution and/or
effective mixing of the culture are crucial to ensure maximal productivity. (2) Another challenge is sufficient gas exchange with
increasing size of the system: providing sufficient CO 2 for photosynthesis and removal of O 2 produced in this process. (3) Furthermore, soluble algal products, which are released by microalgal cells
into the culture medium during cultivation, can be a problem.
These compounds may accumulate in the culture medium and
may inhibit microalgal growth, raise the cost of microalgal recovery,
and lower the performance of the downstream discharged water
treatment process after microalgal cultivation [1]. In addition to
problems associated with the cultivation itself, harvesting of the
produced biomass can be very challenging, because separation of
the biomass from the culture medium can be expensive and energy
consuming. There are several different options to grow algae on a
larger scale, depending on the purpose of cultivation and application of the algae biomass. Differences between cultivation technologies range from cost, productivity, and controllability of the
cultivation system.
1