A closed system, polymer film based photobioreactor has been developed for the production of fungible liquid fuels from photosynthetic bacterial and algal organisms.  The design of the photobioreactor has been aimed to optimize productivity of the organism with close attention paid to photon capture, mixing, cleanability and sterilization, as well as economics.  These criteria create significant challenges in materials selection for the photobioreactor.  This paper discusses the critical mechanical properties of yield, puncture, and tear behavior of the film used for such an application.  Particular attention will be paid to the creep response and modeling of the long time creep rate.  The effects of weathering, chemical, and biological exposure will be presented in regards to changes in mechanical and optical properties.  Additional considerations of optical properties for photon capture and thermal management are discussed.

Characteristics of a polymer film for a closed system photobioreactor

247th National Meeting (2014)

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