BÉCHET , Quentin

The objective of this study was to optimize the CO2 injection system of algal raceway open ponds to minimize CO2 losses to the atmosphere and therefore reduce operational costs. CO2 transfers can be optimized by increasing the bubble-to-culture CO2 transfer rate and by decreasing the culture-to-atmosphere CO2 transfer rate. CO2 transfer...

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This study aimed to calibrate a productivity model for the algal species Dunaliella salina accounting for the impacts of light intensity and temperature. The calibration was performed by using a dedicated experimental set-up measuring short-term oxygen production rates at different light intensities. The rate of photosynthesis was shown to...

International audience

Determining the fraction of viable cells in algal cultures is critical to improve the understanding and control of algal microbiology, ecology, and biotechnology. Whereas current techniques for algal viability determination can be rather cumbersome, this paper describes a new assay that enables the rapid quantification of algal viability using...

Biofuel production from microalgae requires optimizing the operation of cultivation systems (i.e. outdoor ponds) for this process to be economically sustainable. Controlling algal ponds is complex as the cultivation system is exposed to fluctuating conditions. The strategy investigated in this study uses weather forecast coupled to a predictive...

International audience

Outdoor biofuel production from microalgae is a complex dynamical process submitted to climatic variations. Controlling andoptimizing such a nonlinear process strongly influenced by weather conditions is therefore tricky, but it is crucial to make thisprocess economically sustainable. The strategy investigated in this study uses weather...

AbstractBackgroundCulture collapse due to high temperatures can significantly impact the profitability of outdoor algal cultivation systems. The objective of this study was to model for the first time the impact of high temperatures on algal activity and viability.ResultsViability measurements on Dunaliella salina cultures were based on...

International audience

The ability to predict water evaporation from shallow ponds is needed to accurately assess the water demand and costs of microalgae farming. This study assessed the accuracy of seven evaporation models available in the literature against experimental data collected in a raceway algal pond located in Narbonne, France. A theoretical 'flat-plate'...

Accurate predictions of algal productivity under nutrient-limiting conditions are needed to assess the economics of full-scale algal cultivation for the developing markets of food, feed, and at longer term, green chemistry and biofuel. In particular, predicting pigments production from micro-algae is a critical milestone in the assessments of...