Microalgae cultivation in photobioreactors: An overview of light characteristics

There is increasing commercial interest in the cultivation of microalgae for the production of biofuels, foods, pharmaceuticals, and wastewater treatment. Light is one of the most important factors for the growth and product yield from photosynthetic cells. In this review, light transfer and photosynthesis in algal cells, and the issues of light utilization in the cultivation of microalgae in photobioreactor (PBR) are discussed. Research progress on the improvement of light utilization in microalgae cultivation is outlined. In addition, PBR design assisted by computational fluid dynamics and a strong focus on improving the light characteristics in the scale‐up of PBRs is emphasized.