Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Experimental analyzes for growth in biomass production of the microalgae Tetradesmus obliquus in heterotrophic medium
Submission Author:
Ana Júlia Ferreira Ganda , PR , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Ana Júlia Ferreira Ganda, Kauê Melenek, Murilo Gasparin Rampi, Gabriela Conor Figueiredo, Anne Defranceschi Oliveira, Pedro Mussi, André Bellin Mariano, Vanessa Kava, JOSÉ VIRIATO COELHO VARGAS
Presenter: Ana Júlia Ferreira Ganda
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-2062
Abstract
Microalgae have aroused great interest in the scientific community due to their potential as a renewable source of energy and as a raw material for the production of food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The production of microalgae is a promising technique, as these organisms have high productivity, so that large amounts of biomass can be generated in relatively short periods of time when compared to other sources of biomass. Among the main applications of microalgae, its use to generate biofuels is one of the most desired, since they can be grown in desert areas or in non-potable waters, minimizing competition with food crops. In addition, microalgae production can be carried out in a sustainable way, with low environmental impact, as algae can use carbon dioxide and other pollutants as a source of nutrients. Microalgae can be autotrophic, capable of converting solar energy into biomass very efficiently, reaching conversion rates of up to 50%. They can also be grown heterotrophically, making these organisms extremely versatile for different experimental analyses, as these techniques can be combined to further optimize the productivity of their biomass. However, much remains to be explored in terms of technology and scalability to maximize the potential of these organisms. Therefore, the objective of this present work was to use experimental analytical tools to cultivate microalgae of the Tetradesmus obliquus species, initially in a heterotrophic medium, aiming to reduce the initial cultivation time and, subsequently, to finalize the production of microalgae in airlifts-type bioreactors in an autotrophic medium, decreasing the proportion of possible contaminations commonly related to scale-up. The results show that the combined use of heterotrophic media followed by autotrophic media significantly decrease the total microalgae cultivation time when compared to the exclusive use of autotrophic media, used in most cases.
Keywords
microalgae, photobioreactor, Biofuel, renewable energy, Biomass
