Photobioreactor for Microalgae Cultivation

this project is to design and construct a bench scale photo bioreactor for cultivating micro algae.

Background
Photo Bioreactors are devices often used to produce micro algae commercially. Some of the challenges of photo bioreactor design are supplying sufficient light to the micro algae and preventing the micro algae from sticking to the sides of the bioreactor. At least one design counters these problems by containing to algae in very long, narrow glass tubing. The issue with this is the fragility of the glass, and the fact that the entire system must be shut down should any part of the glass tubing break. This is costly and inefficient. A more robust and inexpensive design is desirable.

Design Task
Our task is to design a bench scale photo bioreactor for research purposes. It should be designed to maximize efficiency and minimize cost, and thus should be composed of relatively inexpensive materials.