A Computer-Based Tool to Simulate Raceway Photobioreactors for Design, Operation and Control Purposes

Microalgae cultivation in photobioreactors is a complex process where environmental, biological and/or design variables affect the system. Due to this great complexity, it is important to have tools to analyze the system in a clear and simple way. This work presents a new software tool for the simulation of microalgae production in raceway photobioreactors. The tool allows to simulate the process on different seasons of the year, using different microalgal strains and considering different reactor designs. Moreover, open-loop and closed-loop control strategies can be analyzed, such as On/Off or PI controllers for pH and dissolved oxygen variables, in order to increase the system productivity. Thus, estimations for productivity and gas consumption are also given to compare several simulated scenarios. Real data for the weather variables are taken from a semi-industrial raceway to be used as inputs to the simulation tool. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.