Thermal modeling and optimization of microalgal biomass production in the harsh desert conditions of State of Qatar

Abstract

Microalgal culture in solar conditions raises several challenges, especially in the harsh desert areas of the Middle East where microalgal culture is a valuable candidate for biomass production on non-arable land. Here we investigate issues related to the temperature regimes involved in open culture systems used to cultivate microalgae in the State of Qatar. A generic thermal modeling approach is presented. The model produced takes into account all relevant heat exchanges involved in the process, including solar radiation absorption, water evaporation and convection with ambient air, and is proved valid for accurate prediction of temperature regimes. The model is then used to analyze heat exchanges and thermal behavior of the process for both summer and winter periods. Temperature regimes are then compared to the requirements of a heat-resistant and a temperate-climate microalgal strain. Finally, various simulations are run to identify how to set an optimized yearly microalgal culture in harsh desert conditions.