Abstract Open Raceway Ponds (RWP) are at present the most used large-scale reactors for microalgae culture. RWPs are extensively applied technology for algae mass cultivation although the scientific design of these ponds remains a major hurdle in this field. An erroneous design result in the presence of dead zones where the fluid flow is sluggish and non-uniform velocity throughout the pond actualized negative impact on algae growth, further these designs are energy inefficient. A dominant component of energy loss is the energy required to circulate the fluid around the raceway, particularly at the 180° bends. This paper investigates effects of various ratio of channel length to width (L/W) and position of side entry axial flow impeller (distance from the bottom of the tank) on the hydrodynamics in RWP. To curtail the dead zone, power consumption, shear stress and enhance surface renewal, the different designs of RWPs with flow deflectors and different types of central baffles were investigated by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The CFD model was validated through Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) tests. A feasible move headed for energy optimization and thus reduction in operational cost can be established through a better understanding of the mixing phenomena by CFD simulations.

中文翻译：

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使用计算流体动力学的高深度跑道池的节能设计

摘要 开放式跑道池（RWP）是目前最常用的大型微藻培养反应器。RWP 是广泛应用于藻类大规模培养的技术，尽管这些池塘的科学设计仍然是该领域的主要障碍。错误的设计会导致死区的存在，在死区中流体流动缓慢，整个池塘的速度不均匀会对藻类生长产生负面影响，而且这些设计是能源效率低下的。能量损失的主要组成部分是围绕滚道循环流体所需的能量，特别是在 180° 弯曲处。本文研究了不同通道长宽比 (L/W) 和侧入式轴流叶轮位置（距罐底的距离）对 RWP 中流体动力学的影响。为了减少死区，功耗，剪切应力和增强表面更新，使用计算流体动力学 (CFD) 研究了具有导流板和不同类型中央挡板的 RWP 的不同设计。CFD 模型通过粒子图像测速 (PIV) 测试进行了验证。通过 CFD 模拟更好地了解混合现象，可以建立一个可行的能源优化措施，从而降低运营成本。