A Pilot Scale Mobile Unit for Dynamic Mathematical Model of Continuous Microalgae Processing Identification on-line

Abstract

A pilot scale mobile biomass digestion unit was constructed, which can be used for bioenergy production process investigation and dynamic mathematical models of continuous processes testing on-line in parallel with industrial equipment and environment. The equipment consists of two independent bioreactors, isobaric gasholder and feeding pumps. It can be easily transferred from parallel to serial configuration to meet the needs of every experiment. Everything is mounted on a car trailer, so the unit can be moved to any industrial or agricultural site for carrying experiments on-line. The unit is equipped with a paperless recorder for experimental data logging. The recorder controls the adjustable temperature in the bioreactors, independently for each, and the level in the gasholder. This enables semi- automatic functioning of the equipment, only periodical feed up of raw substrate is done manually. The mixers of the bioreactors are controlled by variable frequency drives, enabling the change of mixing intensity in every reactor. The initial idea is testing of microalgae biomass processing, although it can successfully be used with any other energetic biomass – food industry waste, waste water sludge, animal farm dung wash, etc. The ideas, solutions and even some hardware equipment, as well, as automation and data acquisition system of this pilot model are transferred from earlier works of the authors in the field of experimental equipment construction.