Date of Submission
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Department
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Advisor
Kristine Horvat, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Nathan Seifert, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Chong Qui, Ph.D.
Keywords
Chlorella Algae, CO2 Capture, Oxygen Production, Mars Colonization, Biomass, Sustainable Energy
LCSH
Chlorella, Algal biofuels, Carbon dioxide mitigation, Oxygen, Biomass energy
Abstract
Increasing Earth's carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels contribute immensely to global warming. At the same time, future Mars colonization requires innovative systems for oxygen production. This study explores how Chlorella algae can help control environmental challenges on Earth, support life on Mars, and produce biomass as an alternative to renewable energy. Chlorella is known for its high photosynthetic efficiency in capturing CO2 for growth, producing O2 and biomass used for biofuel production. It was studied under varying CO₂ concentrations and pressure conditions. Each experiment was performed using a photobioreactor setup and optimized algae growth conditions. These were assessed to understand its ability to grow and produce O2 and biomass used for biofuel production and sustainable energy to address environmental problems. The bioreactor system and the CO2 meter oxygen sensor were key in maximizing Chlorella growth for scalable uses on Earth. The results highlight how vital Chlorella is for lowering CO2 emissions, producing clean energy, and sustaining life on Mars via O2 produced. The experimental results showed that higher CO₂ concentration enhanced Chlorella growth and O2 production, while low- pressure conditions, mimicking Martian environments, supported stable photosynthesis. Under gas mixture atmospheric (428.15 ppm) CO₂ at 1atm pressure conditions in experiment 1, Chlorella showed stable growth with a modest O₂ increase of 0.68%. O2 production greatly improved under high (334000 ppm) CO₂ concentration experiment 2, reaching an increase change of light on and off 4.52%. Further growth under low vacuum pressures of experiments 3 and 4 confirmed that Chlorella can sustain photosynthesis in Martian-like environments. However, the most surprising growth and O2 production occurred in experiment 6, where a mix of 0.13 atm absolute vacuum pressure and high (334000 ppm) CO₂ concentration led to a peak O₂ concentration of 72.01% and selected as the best optimized conditions growth. The combined six experiments dry Chlorella was extracted using Soxhlet extraction to assess its biofuel potential, and 0.14 g of oil was successfully extracted, validating its application as a good prospect for carbon capture, renewable biofuel production, and extraterrestrial life support systems that address environmental sustainability on Earth and enable self-sufficient habitats beyond our planet.
Recommended Citation
Oghenerhoro, Supreme Ogheneovo, "Optimizing Growth Conditions of Chlorella Algae for Enhanced Biomass and Oxygen Production" (2025). Master's Theses. 258.
https://digitalcommons.newhaven.edu/masterstheses/258