ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to summarize the relevance of the main engineering factors determining raceway reactor performance in microalgae production and how their optimization, including the control strategies, allows us to improve productivity in microalgae production systems. Raceway photobioreactors are widely used because their technology is simple and relatively cheap, producing low-cost microalgae biomass. The main contribution to carbon loss in raceway reactors is the inorganic carbon exiting the culture broth at harvesting. To summarize, developing optimized raceway reactors requires a deep understanding of their fluid dynamics and mass transfer. Oxygen mass transfer optimization requires an understanding of the fluid dynamics and the driving force in the different raceway reactor sections. The selective control scheme with the event-based approach optimizes the raceway photobioreactor operation process thanks to the simultaneous control of the two main variables, pH and dissolved oxygen. The improvements obtained using the control system were reflected in increased biomass production rates.