Use of acoustic separation for the separation of hydraulic retention times and harvesting in the production of microalgae

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Algae can be used for the production of a huge range of bioactive chemicals from nutraceuticals such as antioxidants, through to designer proteins for advanced pharmaceutical use. Unfortunately technology is currently not developed to the point where algae can be successfully cultured at industrial scales for commercial use. One of the key areas holding back development is efficient separation of the algae from the water. Current methods such as centrifuges and membrane filtration are expensive and energy intensive. They can also require complex cleaning with chemicals and have large space requirements. More concerning they can generate adverse effects on the algal cell, such as heat and shear forces which can reduce productivity and adversely affect target compounds. South West SME’s Industrial Phycology and Sonic Systems have outlined a new process using next generation technology. This process will overcome all of these challenges and will solve the key barrier to producing algae at industrial scales.