SCI和EI收录∣中国化工学会会刊

中国化学工程学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 86 ›› Issue (10): 222-232.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2025.09.004

• Special Issue on Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology of Tianjin University • 上一篇    下一篇

Design and optimization of microalgae photobioreactors for treatment of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater

Shanyu Xie, Yuanpeng Wang, Qingbiao Li   

  1. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
  • 收稿日期:2025-03-28 修回日期:2025-09-15 接受日期:2025-09-17 出版日期:2025-10-28 发布日期:2025-09-22
  • 通讯作者: Yuanpeng Wang,E-mail:wypp@xmu.edu.cn;Qingbiao Li,E-mail:kelqb@xmu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22038012, U24A20543) and the Science and Technology Pro-gram of Fujian Province, China (2025Y4001).

Design and optimization of microalgae photobioreactors for treatment of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater

Shanyu Xie, Yuanpeng Wang, Qingbiao Li   

  1. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
  • Received:2025-03-28 Revised:2025-09-15 Accepted:2025-09-17 Online:2025-10-28 Published:2025-09-22
  • Contact: Yuanpeng Wang,E-mail:wypp@xmu.edu.cn;Qingbiao Li,E-mail:kelqb@xmu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22038012, U24A20543) and the Science and Technology Pro-gram of Fujian Province, China (2025Y4001).

摘要: The use of microalgae to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater has garnered significant attention, positioning it as one of the most promising and sustainable strategies in modern wastewater treatment. While various photobioreactors (PBRs) configurations have been widely applied for microalgae cultivation, limited research has focused on optimizing PBR design specifically to enhance nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency. The high operational costs of wastewater treatment, combined with the inherent variability of microalgal growth, have prompted the search for advanced solutions that improve nitrogen and phosphorus removal while minimizing resource consumption and enabling predictive process control. Recently, the integration of PBR systems with artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) modeling has emerged as a transformative approach to enhancing nutrient removal, particularly for nitrogen and phosphorus. This study first summarizes existing PBR designs tailored for diverse applications, then outlines strategies for system enhancement through the optimization of mixing methods, construction materials, light intensity, and light source configuration. Furthermore, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and AI/ML modeling are presented as tools to guide the structural design and operational optimization of microalgae-based nitrogen and phosphorus removal processes. Finally, future research directions and key challenges are discussed.

关键词: Microalgae, Photobioreactor, Design, Optimization, Nitrogen phosphorus removal, Artificial intelligence

Abstract: The use of microalgae to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater has garnered significant attention, positioning it as one of the most promising and sustainable strategies in modern wastewater treatment. While various photobioreactors (PBRs) configurations have been widely applied for microalgae cultivation, limited research has focused on optimizing PBR design specifically to enhance nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency. The high operational costs of wastewater treatment, combined with the inherent variability of microalgal growth, have prompted the search for advanced solutions that improve nitrogen and phosphorus removal while minimizing resource consumption and enabling predictive process control. Recently, the integration of PBR systems with artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) modeling has emerged as a transformative approach to enhancing nutrient removal, particularly for nitrogen and phosphorus. This study first summarizes existing PBR designs tailored for diverse applications, then outlines strategies for system enhancement through the optimization of mixing methods, construction materials, light intensity, and light source configuration. Furthermore, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and AI/ML modeling are presented as tools to guide the structural design and operational optimization of microalgae-based nitrogen and phosphorus removal processes. Finally, future research directions and key challenges are discussed.

Key words: Microalgae, Photobioreactor, Design, Optimization, Nitrogen phosphorus removal, Artificial intelligence