Increasing the efficiency of algae cultivation processes

Algae are increasingly coming into focus when it comes to generating sustainable processes for the production of food, "green" fuels and even pharmaceutically active ingredients. Especially in closed cultivation in so-called photobioreactors (tubular reactors), they can be cultivated virtually anywhere.

Membrane contactors increase yield

The project aims to show how the cultivation of algae strains can be made more efficient by combining process improvements and how the ingredients that can be generated can be obtained reliably and competitively. "The use of membrane contactors for bubble-free aeration and degassing of the cultures is the front end here - which should lead to an expected space-time yield increase of (at least) 10 %.

This will be demonstrated using the example of three algae cultures whose products are used both as food colouring, as food supplements or as butter substitutes. From each of the three algae strains, a significant amount of value product is also to be generated within the framework of this project using established techniques such as CO2 extraction, membrane filtration and (spray) drying.

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland School of Life Sciences (HLS)
Project leader: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Riedl

Would you like to get a deeper insight into the research project? Contact us!