Flat Panel Bioreactor with LED illumination

Collaboration leads to new Flat Panel Bioreactor with LED illumination.

Doetinchem-Wageningen

Recently, a new type of bench-scale Flat Panel Photo-bioreactor for growth of phototrophic microalgae and cyano-bacteria was designed and is currently in the first stage of commercialization. The chair ‘Bioprocess Engineering’ of Wageningen University (www.bpe.nl) already studied the growth and production of microalgae for the past 10 years. Infors Benelux (www.infors.nl) and Wageningen University started a collaboration, to develop a commercial Flat Panel Photo-bioreactor. Several units are operational now (see picture), at AlgaePARC (Algae Production And Research Centre, www.algaeparc.com), a facility for research into sustainable and economically viable micro-algae cultivation systems. 

High densities of biomass can be reached, due to the optimized set-up of the (autoclavable) 2-L (total volume) Flat Panel Photo-bioreactor: a system with a light path of only 2 cm, combined with high power LED illumination, reaching photon flux densities as high as 2500-3000 µmole * m^-2 * s^-1.

Parameters like, temperature, pH (controlled via acid / base or carbon dioxide), dO₂, anti-foam, acid / base, feed, can be measured, logged, and controlled easily. Also off-gas measurement (e.g. CO₂ and O₂) equipment from Infors is compatible with this system. Moreover, chemostat or turbidostat runs are easily started for all types of research or production purposes.

If you need more information about this new Flat Panel Photo-bioreactor, do not hesitate to contact Infors Benelux.