From lab to industrial scale

In this article we will talk about the photobioreactors developed by Aqualgae,  suitable for the laboratory scale, but also pretty close to the conditions of hundreds or thousands of liters.

Scientific tests and laboratory research are almost never a real representation of what happens on an industrial scale. In the field of research, the systems used are not always the most updated. Many of our research clients express their concern in simulating in the laboratory what could really happen on an industrial scale. The cultures in test tubes, microplates, in erlnmeyrs or in systems of very little volume, are usually far from the real conditions of industrial production.

In order to design a cultivation system, several criteria have to be taken into account, such as the biology of the species to be cultivated, the requirements of light, temperature, nutritional, turbulence and / or agitation, stress resistance, replicas in equal conditions, grade automation in the control of the main parameters; among others. Aware of this problem, at Aqualgae we have dedicated ourselves to developing FBRs of various types for laboratories (tubular, small race-ways, air-lift type column, panel or thin layer, which allow researchers to control the conditions of their crops.

Our equipment maintains volume / area relations, diameters, luminous flux, degree of agitation and energy consumption, so that they can be replicated with great precision to the industrial scale.

An example of this is our AQUALGAE C-LAB Model model launched in 2016. A photobioreactor that allows you to grow cyanobacteria, freshwater or marine microalgae, including benthic or planktonic diatoms, and that can be grown in different regimes (batch, continuous or in semi-continuous). As of 2020, this model will also feature technological innovations 4.0 and monitoring of energy consumption.

We invite you to watch the following video and of course we will be happy to answer any questions through our contact form.