Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors

Wondraczek L, Batentschuk M, Schmidt MA, Borchardt R, Scheiner S, Seemann B, Schweizer P, Brabec C (2013)


Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2013

Journal

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 4

Article Number: 2047

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3047

Abstract

Sustainable biomass production is expected to be one of the major supporting pillars for future energy supply, as well as for renewable material provision. Algal beds represent an exciting resource for biomass/biofuel, fine chemicals and CO storage. Similar to other solar energy harvesting techniques, the efficiency of algal photosynthesis depends on the spectral overlap between solar irradiation and chloroplast absorption. Here we demonstrate that spectral conversion can be employed to significantly improve biomass growth and oxygen production rate in closed-cycle algae reactors. For this purpose, we adapt a photoluminescent phosphor of the type Ca SrEuS, which enables efficient conversion of the green part of the incoming spectrum into red light to better match the Q peak of chlorophyll b. Integration of a Ca SrEuS backlight converter into a flat panel algae reactor filled with Haematococcus pluvialis as a model species results in significantly increased photosynthetic activity and algae reproduction rate. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

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APA:

Wondraczek, L., Batentschuk, M., Schmidt, M.A., Borchardt, R., Scheiner, S., Seemann, B.,... Brabec, C. (2013). Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors. Nature Communications, 4. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3047

MLA:

Wondraczek, Lothar, et al. "Solar spectral conversion for improving the photosynthetic activity in algae reactors." Nature Communications 4 (2013).

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