AN INTEGRATED CULTURE SYSTEM FOR OUTDOOR PRODUCTION OF MICROALGAE ANDCYANOBACTERIA

Cultivation of microalgae in closed photobioreactors suffers from high temperatures, whereas in open raceway ponds the optimal temperature i s seldom reached. With an integrated device coupling a raceway pond wi th a suitably sized and positioned closed system (alveolar panel), the heat accumulated in the panel was efficiently transferred to the pond and a near-optimum temperature regimen for Arthrospira platensis was maintained, with no need for any additional cooling device. The produc tivity obtained in the integrated system was higher than the sum of th e productivities (g reactor(-1) day(-1)) of the pond and panel systems operating separately.