(299j) Parametric Study of Light Intensity on the Growth of Chroogloeocystis Siderophila in a Photo-Bioreactor

One of today's most important concerns is the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In this work, photosynthesis is applied in the photo-bioreactor to separate carbon dioxide from flue gas using ?Chroogloeocystis Siderophila? (C.S) culture under a steady state. A novel photo-bioreactor, developed at Ohio University, enhances the natural process photosynthesis to convert light, heat and carbon dioxide to oxygen, carbohydrates and hydrogen. The photobioreactor offers the possibility of both an environmentally and economically sustainable process of separating CO2 from flue and turning it into biomass that could be used as an energy source. In addition, the C.S culture that is grown inside the photo bioreactor may be used as biomass for the production of biofuels, value added health food supplements, specialty feed, paper feedstock or its substitute and reagents for research. Some parameters which affect the growth of the micro organisms in the photo-bioreactor are light, temperature and carbon dioxide level. My research interest is to vary light intensity as a key parameter in the photo-bioreactor from an average ≤ 30 µmolm-2 s-1 to 60 ≤ average ≥ 85 µmolm-2 s-1. The organism grown in the photo-bioreactor is a thermophilic bacterium and in the natural habitat is at 500C, so a temperature of around 500C is maintained. The carbon dioxide level in coal flue gas varies from 4-13% (by volume), and 9±0.5% will be supplied to the photo-bioreactor. To simulate the day and night light cycle, a light and dark cycle of 12:12 (hours) is maintained in the photo-bioreactor. The culture grown on the growth surfaces is subjected to intermediate harvesting to improve the productivity of C.S culture.