Large Scale Cultivation of Microalgae in Open, Closed, and Hybrid Systems.

There are two main approaches for cultivating microalgae on a large scale: either in open or closed cultivation systems. The main difference between these systems is related to how they operate (e.g., cooling and gas exchange), vulnerability for outside influence (e.g., rainwater and introduction of unwanted species), and costs for building and running the system. Additionally, hybrid-systems can be used to combine the advantages of open and closed systems. In this chapter we introduce the main cultivation technologies and discuss their main advantages and disadvantages when cultivating microalgae, including multi-species approaches.