Algae + solar concentrators?

There have recently been some interesting advances in growing algae as
a source of oil for biodiesel. Algae can produce over an order of
magnitude more biomass per unit area than any other crop. Some algae
are grown in open ponds but the highest yields are achieved in closed
tubes of glass or clear plastic with extra CO2 from the emissions of a
nearby power plant.

I was wondering if in addition to CO2 enrichment solar concentrators
could be used to increase light levels and further boost production.
The practical concentration ratio probably won't be anywhere near that
of concentrating photovoltaics but it may be enough to justify the
costruction cost of the concentrators.

Another possible use of concentrators is not necessarily to increase
the peak light level but to make it more consistent throughout the day
or year. This could use either active tracking or static reflectors
optimized for operation at low sun elevation angles which naturally go
slightly off-focus when the sun is higher up in the sky to prevent
oveheating (or whatever other mechanism limits the maximum usable
light level).

Oren

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Algae + solar concentrators?
    ... Some algae ... I was wondering if in addition to CO2 enrichment solar concentrators ... could be used to increase light levels and further boost production. ... optimized for operation at low sun elevation angles which naturally go ...
    (sci.energy)
  • Re: Illumination from the specimens point of view...
    ... A photosynthetic apparatus is a balanced system, the fact that algae ... so when light levels are high artificially, ... but there isn't much that can protect against the sudden burst of light ...
    (sci.techniques.microscopy)
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