Passive temperature control of an outdoor photobioreactor by phase change materials

BACKGROUNDPhotobioreactors operated under sunlight require a temperature control system. Proposed cooling/heating systems increase the cost of the bioprocess due to their intensive energy utilization or the decrease in bioprocess efficiency they cause. In this study, a novel solar photobioreactor was developed in which phase change materials are employed for controlling the temperature without using external energy. The system was tested in outdoor conditions using Rhodobacter capsulatus as a model photosynthetic microorganism.