- Cultivation in continuous Photobioreactors. In view of an efficient industrial application, the cultivation of microalgae in a continuous system allows to achieve a stable biomass production. Productivity depends on many factors, upon which light and nutrient availability, temperature and species-related properties play a major role. The research activity at PAR-Lab investigates the effect of operating parameters (such as residence time, light intensity and regimes, temperature) on productivity, photosynthetic efficiency and biochemical composition of different algal strains, with the aim of identifying suitable conditions to maximize the efficiency of the process.

- Process simulation and techno-economic analysis. Process simulation is a very useful tool to design large-scale biodiesel production from microalgal biomass, and to evaluate the potential of microalgal technology from both the economic and energetic point of view. At PAR-Lab different process configurations as well as alternative technologies are assessed though process simulation tools in order to optimize biofuel production in terms of yield, economics and energetic performance. Models are used to scale-up process equipment and to evaluate costs, considering both CAPEX (capital costs) and OPEX (operating costs).

- Sustainable nutrient supply for microalgal cultivation. In order to make a large-scale production feasible, the nutrient supply plays a key role, concerning both carbon source and macronutrient availability. PAR-Lab research is focused on testing several methods for nutrient supply:

- Carbonis the main component of algal elemental composition. It can be delivered as CO2 from flue gas, even though the possibility of using soluble carbonate can overcome issues concerning the transportation and solubility of gaseous CO2.

- Other growth-limiting nutrients arenitrogen and phosphorus, which can be recovered using wastewater. At PAR-Lab, several types of wastewater are tested for microalgal growth, from urban wastes to leachate from landfill. The possibility to recycle nutrients from microalgal biomass is also investigated.

- Gruppi di ricerca: PARLab-microalghe@DII