Large solar collectors on the roof track the sun, collect sunlight, and distribute it through large optical fibers to the bioreactor's growth chamber. The fibers function as distributed light sources to illuminate cyanobacteria (algae).
Each growth chamber consists of a series of illumination sheets containing the optical fibers and moist cloth-like membranes on which the algae grow. By stacking the membranes vertically and better distributing the light, more algae can be produced via photosynthesis in a smaller area.
Photobioreactors use sunlight to sequestor carbon from coal-fired power plans as they produce biomass. The Ohio University reactor will ultimately remove the carbon generated by the production of about 125 MW of electricity in a coal fired plan.
This system is expected to sequester carbon at a cost of $5-8 per ton surpassing the U.S. Department of Energy's goal of $10 per ton. It will also reduce the space required by a factor of 10 or more, when compared to raceway cultivators.
Light delivery and distribution is the principle obstacle to using commercial-scale photobioreactors for algae production. In horizontal cultivator systems, light penetrates the suspension only to 5 cm, leaving most of the algae in darkness. The top layer of algae requires only about 1/10th the intensity of full sunlight to maximize growth, so the remaining sunlight is wasted.
The biomass has a variety of potential uses: hydrogen production, feedstocks, agriculture, pharmaceuticals.
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A algae photobioreactors is a technique that is either a closed or semi-closed technique that has both light & nutrients supplied to it in an work to maximize algal biomass. The nutrients are provided through pollutants thus allowing the sculpture to facilitate bio-remediation, which allows an surroundings that has been contaminated to return to its original state.
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