Montana Tech Library Digital Commons @ Montana Tech Graduate Theses & Non-Theses Student Scholarship Spring 2018 Investigation on Relationships between Optical Properties and Cell Concentrations of Microalgae Zhaoming Zhou Montana Tech Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/grad_rsch Part of the Geophysics and Seismology Commons Recommended Citation Zhou, Zhaoming, "Investigation on Relationships between Optical Properties and Cell Concentrations of Microalgae" (2018). Graduate Theses & Non-Theses. 149. https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/grad_rsch/149 This Publishable Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Digital Commons @ Montana Tech. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses & Non-Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Montana Tech. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Investigation on Relationships between Optical Properties and Cell Concentrations of Microalgae by Zhaoming Zhou A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geophysical Engineering Montana Tech 2018 ii Abstracts Biofuel from microalgae is a very promising renewable energy resource. Growth of microalgae depends on ambient temperature, appropriate nutrients in water, and light condition for photosynthesis. As microalgae grow, the depth of light penetration decreases and the growing conditions at depth deteriorate. Monitoring of microalgae concentration during their growing phase is imperative to ensure efficiency in biomass production. Conventionally, cell concentration (number of cells per unit volume) of microalgae solution is estimated by taking images of samples under microscope and then counted and estimated using the Metallized Hemacytometer Hausser Bright-Linewe (MHHBL) method developed by Hausser Scientific. This method of measuring cell concentration of microalgal solution is time consuming and can be performed only in the laboratory.