SBIR Phase I: Physics Based Modeling, Design, and Optimization of Microalgae Growth Systems

该SBIR第一阶段项目将开发对藻类生产系统进行综合评估的软件。文献中关于流体流动(质量、湍流、动量)、能量、光分布、光合作用、藻类生长和浓度、气体传输和热传输的标准模型将被纳入该软件。这项建议的创新部分是将现有模型整合到一个分析藻类系统的软件包中。该项目的更广泛/商业影响将是为评估潜在的藻类生产系统设计提供一个基于模型的性能预测工具。藻类生物燃料可以通过减少对外国石油的依赖来提高国家的能源独立性和安全性，还可以减少全球温室气体排放(因为藻类在生长过程中消耗二氧化碳)。藻类生物燃料的生产和使用已经得到证实和测试，但问题是藻类油的生产成本太高。露天池塘是最便宜的藻类种植方式，但存在污染和控制问题。封闭式光生物反应器是生产效率最高、控制最好的，但设计、制造和操作成本高昂。该项目将产生必要的计算工具，对基于开放池塘或光生物反应器的藻类生长系统的设计和开发产生早期影响。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop software for comprehensive evaluation of algal production systems. Standard models from literature for fluid flow (mass, turbulence, momentum), energy, light distribution, photosynthesis, algae growth and concentration, gas transfer, and heat transfer will be incorporated into the software. The innovative component of this proposal is the integration of existing models into one software package for analysis of algal systems.The broader/commercial impact of the project will be to provide a model based performance prediction tool for evaluation of potential algal production system designs. Algae based biofuels can increase national energy independence and security by reducing the dependence on foreign oil and also result in reduced global green house gas emissions (because algae consume CO2 during growth). The production and use of algae based biofuels has been provenand tested, however, the problem is that the production costs for algae oil are too high. Open ponds are the least expensive way to grow algae but suffer from contamination and control issues. Closed photobioreactors are the most productive and best controlled but are costly to design, manufacture, andoperate. This project will produce the computational tools necessary to have early stage impact on the design and development of open pond or photobioreactor based algae growth systems.