Effects of mass transfer and light intensity on substrate biological degradation by immobilized photosynthetic bacteria within an annular fiber-illuminating biofilm reactor

Chuan Zhang; Huan Zhang; Zhiping Zhang; Youzhou Jiao; Quanguo Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.01.015

Effects of mass transfer and light intensity on substrate biological degradation by immobilized photosynthetic bacteria within an annular fiber-illuminating biofilm reactor

J Photochem Photobiol B. 2014 Feb 5:131:113-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.01.015. Epub 2014 Jan 30.

Authors

Chuan Zhang¹, Huan Zhang², Zhiping Zhang², Youzhou Jiao², Quanguo Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of New Materials and Facilities for Rural Renewable Energy (Henan Agricultural University), Ministry of Agriculture of China, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China; Institute of Electric Power, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, China.
² Key Laboratory of New Materials and Facilities for Rural Renewable Energy (Henan Agricultural University), Ministry of Agriculture of China, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
³ Key Laboratory of New Materials and Facilities for Rural Renewable Energy (Henan Agricultural University), Ministry of Agriculture of China, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China. Electronic address: zquanguo@163.com.

PMID: 24531266
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.01.015

Abstract

In this work, effects of mass transfer and light intensity on performance of substrate biodegradation by cell-immobilized photosynthetic bacteria were investigated within an annular fiber-illuminating bioreactor (AFIBR). In AFIBR, stable biofilm of photosynthetic bacteria was generated on the surface of side-glowing optical fiber to provide sufficient light supply and uniform light distribution in cell-immobilized zone for continuous substrate biodegradation during hydrogen production process. To optimize operation parameters for substrate degradation, a two-dimensional mass transfer model based on experimental data to describe coupled processes of substrate transfer and biodegradation in biofilm with substrate diffusion and convection in bulk flow region was proposed. Investigations on influences of substrate concentration, flow rate and light intensity were carried out. It was showed that the optimum operational parameters for the substrate degradation in the AFIBR are: 10g/l substrate concentration, 100ml/h flow rate and 3.1W/m(2) light intensity.

Keywords: Cell-immobilized bioreactor; Photo-biological reaction; Photosynthetic bacteria; Side-glowing optical fiber (SOF); Substrate transport.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental
Biofilms / growth & development
Bioreactors / microbiology*
Cells, Immobilized*
Fiber Optic Technology
Light
Models, Theoretical
Photosynthesis
Rhodopseudomonas / physiology*