Simulation of a Novel Tubular Microalgae Photobioreactor with Aerated Tangent Inner Tubes: Improvements in Mixing Performance and Flashing-Light Effects

Table 1

Comparison of performance of the different tubular photobioreactors (PBRs).

PBR characteristics		TKE (cm^2·s^−2)	(Hz)	(%)	Reference
Tangent double-tube PBRs	0.69	80	1.8	47. 8	This work
Concentric double-tube PBRs	0.5	54	1.01	35.1	This work
Serial lantern-shaped draft tube PBRs	—	26.6	0.476	32.9	[8]
Novel static mixers inside the tubular PBR	—	23	—	—	[10]
Successive and independent arrangement of Kenics mixer units in tubular PBRs	—	—	0.59-0.64	—	[11]
Tubular PBRs with spiral ribs	—	—	1.0-1.4 Hz	—	[13]
Twisted tubular photobioreactor	—	—	0.9-4.0	—	[16]
A draft-tube airlift PBR for Botryococcus braunii	—	32-74	0.7 ± 0.02	—	[38]

“—” means “not calculated in the literature”.