New mechanistic model to simulate microalgae growth
Résumé
The prospect of treating wastewater and at the same time producing microalgae biomass is receiving increasing attention. Mechanistic models for microalgae growth inwastewater are currently being developed for new sys- tems design aswell as to improve the understanding of the involved biokinetic processes. However, mathemat- icalmodels able to describe the complexity of microalgal cultures are still not a common practice. The aimof the present study is to present and calibrate a newmechanistic model built in COMSOL Multiphysics™platformfor the description of microalgae growth. Carbon-limited algal growth, transfer of gases to the atmosphere; and pho- torespiration, photosynthesis kinetics and photoinhibition are included. The model considers the growth of microalgae as a function of light intensity and temperature, aswell as availability of nitrogen and other nutrients. The modelwas calibrated using experimental data froma case study based on the cultivation of microalgae spe- cies in synthetic culture medium. The model was able to reproduce experimental data. Simulation results show the potential of the model to predict microalgae growth and production, nutrient uptake, and the influence of temperature, light intensity and pH on biokinetic processes of microalgae.