Estimation of the Light-dependent Specific Growth Rate of a Green Microalga Chlorella fusca var. vacuolata by a Growth Model with Arrhenius-type Light Intensity Function

Abstract

This paper presents a model describing the light dependent growth of microalgae. This model is based on the assumption that the light intensity dependence of specific growth rate follows an Arrhenius-type relationship. The specific growth rate of microalgae is expressed as the product of an Arrhenius-type equation and the Monod equation. The model was applied to describe the photo-autotorophic growth of a green microalga Chlorella fusca var. vacuolata at different light intensities and nitrate concentrations. The model successfully described the effects of light intensity and nitrate concentration on the specific growth rate of the microalga. Our model expressed the sigmoidal light intensity dependence of specific growth rate at low light intensity.