| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 687973 | Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification | 2009 | 5 Pages |
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the photoperiod on the biomass production and carbon dioxide fixation rates using a photosynthetic culture of the cyanobacterium Aphanothece microscopica Nägeli in bubble column photobioreactors. The cultures were carried out at temperatures of 35 °C, air enriched with carbon dioxide at concentrations of 15% and photon flux density of 150 μmol m−2 s−1. The light cycles evaluated were 0:24, 2:22, 4:20, 6:18, 8:16, 10:14, 12:12, 14:10, 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, 22:2 and 24:0 (night:day), respectively. The results obtained indicated that the duration of the light periods was a determinant factor in the performance of the photobioreactors. A linear reduction in biomass production and carbon dioxide fixation with reductions in the duration of the light period was evident, with the exception of the 12:12 (night:day) cycles. Reductions of up to 99.69% in the carbon-fixation rates as compared with cultures under continuous illumination were obtained.
