TITLE:
Investigation of Flow Dynamics for a Microalgae Suspension in an Open Pond System
AUTHORS:
Nandita Barua Singha, Ujjwal Kumar Deb, Mushfique Shahriar
KEYWORDS:
Biofuel, Microalgae, Open Pond System, Fluid Dynamics, Simulation
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Computational Mathematics,
Vol.7 No.3,
August
1,
2017
ABSTRACT: In the
microalgae based biofuel technology, two main cultivation methods are available
such as the Open pond system and the Closed photo bioreactor (PBR). The primary
advantages of utilizing open raceway ponds are low production and maintenance
cost. Though the open raceway ponds have been adjudged potentially cost
effective, so many surrounding issues are involved to produce microalgae at a
large scale that could make microalgae fuel cost competitive with the
conventional petro oil. Many researchers have been studied so far to increase
the efficiency of the cultivation methods without providing a proper
mathematical model of flow dynamics inside the open raceway ponds. This paper
presents a mathematical model to analyze the flow behavior of an open pond
culture focusing the mixing factors by using a paddlewheel while the paddlewheel
have its own unique dynamic characteristics. From our simulation we observed
that the paddlewheel plays a vital role in mixing and the growth of microalgae.
The velocity profiles, shear stress distributions are also studied at different
parts of an open pond culture for a microalgae suspension.