Regular articleOptimal decision curve of light intensity to maximize the biomass concentration in a batch culture

- An algorithm to manage the light intensity to maximize microalgae biomass is proposed.
- The simulations shows an optimal behavior in terms of a maximum production biomass.
- This algorithm have a good behavior against variation of parameters and disturbance.
- The proposed algorithm is simple and robust against in front of perturbations.

This paper proposes a method to find an optimal decision curve to manage the incident light intensity (q0) that is applied to microalgae cultivation to maximize biomass concentration (CX). Microalgae are characterized by the production of high value compounds of interest to industry; the challenge is to obtain the highest biomass concentration. Optimization of the performance of microalgae culture systems is important to guarantee the viability of the economical process. The advantages of this optimization proposal are to attain to CX maximum productivities, as well as its simplicity and its robustness against perturbations. The optimization proposal is illustrated and evaluated on a numerical simulation in a batch culture of microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Additionally, it was compared to a conventional constant light operation and with an optimization approach based on finding the ratio between q0 and CX (light-to-microalga ratio). In the analysis, the performance of the optimal decision curve was contemplated in presence of the perturbations and variation of parameters. The simulations of proposal in this paper shows an optimal behavior in terms of a maximum production CX · In addition, this would have a better behavior in front of robustness and disturbance rejection capabilities, compared to both, constant light operation and light-to-microalga ratio.