eCommons

 

3D Assembly For Programmable Matter And Hollow Fiber Membrane Gas Exchange In Planar Photobioreactors

dc.contributor.authorKalontarov, Michaelen_US
dc.contributor.chairErickson, Daviden_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberPeck, Masonen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberLipson, Hoden_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-25T18:40:32Z
dc.date.available2019-01-28T07:00:59Z
dc.date.issued2014-01-27en_US
dc.description.abstractIn my Ph.D. research I have applied mechanical engineering knowledge and approaches to develop technologies for two topics: programmable matter and green energy through biofuels. Specifically, I have addressed the issues of 3D assembly in a fluid environment and gas exchange in photobioreactors. In the first part of this dissertation, I investigated a programmable matter system that consists of cm-scale building blocks which are agitated in a stochastic flow pattern and assembled using local fluid forces. The fundamental aspect of this approach that my research concentrated on was the problem of component alignment. Towards this end we developed a novel alignment strategy and characterized it using a combination of numerical simulations and experiments. In the second part of this dissertation, I demonstrate the optimal geometric and operational conditions for CO2 transport to planar cultures of photosynthetic organisms via hollow fiber membranes. Firstly, I examined the growth pattern of Synechococcus elongatus around individual hollow fiber membranes to determine the optimal spacing and conditions for maximizing photosynthetic activity. I expanded on this initial work and used the information from the single fiber experiments to design, fabricate, and characterize arrays of HFM fibers. By using this novel configuration of hollow fiber membranes, I was able to grow and sustain an organism culture with effectiveness comparable to state of the art methods while eliminating the need for media circulation and replenishment and allowing for integration into waveguide photobioreactors.en_US
dc.identifier.otherbibid: 8442318
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/36130
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectPhotobioreactorsen_US
dc.subjectHollow Fiber Membranesen_US
dc.subjectProgrammable Matteren_US
dc.title3D Assembly For Programmable Matter And Hollow Fiber Membrane Gas Exchange In Planar Photobioreactorsen_US
dc.typedissertation or thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorCornell Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctor of Philosophy
thesis.degree.namePh. D., Mechanical Engineering

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
mk579.pdf
Size:
3.08 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format