This study describes the thermal modeling of a novel algal biofilm photobioreactor aimed at cultivating algae for biofuel production. The thermal model is developed to assess the photobioreactor’s thermal profile and evaporative water loss rate for a range of environmental parameters, including ambient air temperature, solar irradiation, relative humidity, and wind speed. First, a week-long simulation of the system has been performed using environmental data for Memphis, TN, on a typical week during the spring, summer, fall, and winter. Then, a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of each weather parameter on the temperature and evaporative loss rate of the photobioreactor. The range of the daily algae temperature variation was observed to be 12.2 °C, 13.2 °C, 11.7 °C, and 8.2 °C in the spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. Furthermore, without active cooling, the characteristic evaporative water loss from the system is approximately 6.0 L/m2 day, 7.3 L/m2 day, 3.4 L/m2 day, and 1.0 L/m2 day in the spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively.
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e-mail: berberoglu@mail.utexas.edu
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February 2012
Research Papers
Temperature Fluctuation and Evaporative Loss Rate in an Algae Biofilm Photobioreactor
Thomas E. Murphy,
Thomas E. Murphy
Mechanical Engineering Department, Cockrell School of Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, TX 78712
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Halil Berberoğlu
Halil Berberoğlu
Mechanical Engineering Department, Cockrell School of Engineering,
e-mail: berberoglu@mail.utexas.edu
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, TX 78712
Search for other works by this author on:
Thomas E. Murphy
Mechanical Engineering Department, Cockrell School of Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, TX 78712
Halil Berberoğlu
Mechanical Engineering Department, Cockrell School of Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, TX 78712e-mail: berberoglu@mail.utexas.edu
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Feb 2012, 134(1): 011002 (9 pages)
Published Online: November 1, 2011
Article history
Received:
May 11, 2011
Accepted:
September 1, 2011
Online:
November 1, 2011
Published:
November 1, 2011
Citation
Murphy, T. E., and Berberoğlu, H. (November 1, 2011). "Temperature Fluctuation and Evaporative Loss Rate in an Algae Biofilm Photobioreactor." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. February 2012; 134(1): 011002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4005088
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