Numerical Simulation of Two-phase Laminar Flow for CO_2 and Microalgae Suspension in the HLTP

摘要

This paper proposes a mathematical model of two-phase flow for carbon-dioxide and microalgae suspension in an Horizontal Loop Tubular Photo-bioreactor (HLTP) taking into account the light irradiance. The model with no-slip condition on the wall and zero outward normal stress at the outlet of the HLTP is used to simulate the fluid phenomena inside the HLTP. The viscosity of the algal suspension is considered as a function of relative viscosity related to concentration and growth rate of the microalgae. The simulation is carried out on the seventh day of the culture. The effect of average irradiance in a day on the viscosity is investigated. The results show that the two-phase flow model can capture the real behavior of the microalgae culture in the HLTP.