Date of Award:
12-2025
Document Type:
Thesis
Degree Name:
Master of Science (MS)
Department:
Biological Engineering
Committee Chair(s)
Ronald C. Sims
Committee
Ronald C. Sims
Committee
Phillip E. Heck
Committee
Luguang Wang
Abstract
A rotating algal biofilm reactor (RABR) was operated outdoors for one calendar year to see how the microalgae grown were affected. The algae are grown in wastewater that contains nitrogen and phosphorous, which are elements found in fertilizer. The design used was modified from a previous design, and this project tested the modifications to see if they improved how much microalgae were grown. In February 2025, the objectives of the field study were updated to focus on growing as much microalgae as possible instead of removing as much nitrogen and phosphorous as possible. This updated design increased the fluid flow rate to reduce the amount of heat that was lost to the environment. This led to more than doubling how productive the RABR was compared to the previous design, even though the modified design is the same volume. This RABR configuration shows promise for further testing, and the microalgae grown on the RABR may be used to create bioplastic, while a salt called struvite that forms in the microalgae could be used to create sustainable fire retardants. Both of these bioproducts have potential to be profitable to produce.
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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Haag, Davis R., "Analysis on Modifications to an Outdoor Field-Scale Rotating Algal Biofilm Reactor With a Focus on Biomass Productivity and Power Usage" (2025). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present. 631.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/631
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