Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Mathematical modeling of immobilized microalgae cultivation associated with effluent treatment
Submission Author:
Paulo Alexandre Silveira da Silva , PR , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Rafael Silva Ribeiro Gonçalves, Paulo Alexandre Silveira da Silva, Beatriz Jacob Furlan, Lauber Martins, Gabriela Conor Figueiredo, JOSÉ VIRIATO COELHO VARGAS
Presenter: Rafael Silva Ribeiro Gonçalves
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-1049
Abstract
The indiscriminate disposal of household and industrial waste, coupled with deficiencies in sewage collection, has been increasing contamination and the formation of wastewater. Consequently, conventional effluent treatment carried out by treatment plants shows inefficiency rates, with difficulties in meeting minimum quality standards. On the other hand, the use of microalgae appears to be a promising alternative for wastewater treatment, as they are capable of removing pollutants and waste, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic compounds, during their cultivation. From the biomass, various high-value bioproducts can be obtained, especially those related to biofuel production. However, microalgae cultivation currently presents many industrial challenges, especially those related to the cultivation system, such as cost and biomass recovery, thus immobilization technology may be a possible solution to these problems. The methodology consists of trapping cells inside a porous and semipermeable membrane in the form of a capsule through physical-chemical interactions. Thus, immobilization tends to improve the intrinsic characteristics of microorganisms and refine the process, as it reduces energy expenditure in downstream operations, allows for the reuse of cells, and increases the capacity for pollutant complexation. Therefore, considering the bottlenecks and the alternative approach, this work consists of developing a mathematical model for immobilized microalgae cultivation concomitant with wastewater treatment. In this sense, it is necessary to adapt the Monod model to describe the biomass accumulation process and the consumption of contaminants as substrates. Additionally, this article develops the first mathematical model for immobilized microalgae, demonstrating computational simulations capable of accurately describing experimental data obtained for biomass production. In summary, through the predictability that mathematical modeling is capable of providing, it is feasible to optimize the overall process, increasing productivity, reducing the time and final cost of biomass. It also allows for the adoption of cell immobilization as an economically and environmentally favorable option for pollutant removal from wastewater.
Keywords
Waste to energy, Cell immobilization, Wastewater Treatment, Modeling and Simulation, microalgae biomass
