Smart Glass Manufacturing and Photobioreactor Design

The objective of this project is to design an efficient photobioreactor to produce algae as a food source for aquaculture. The design of the indoor photobioreactors incorporates smart glass, treated glass that refracts ultraviolet and infrared light to a solar cell while allowing visible light to pass through for algae to use in photosynthesis. The energy created by the solar cell could be used to offset energy consumption of a photobioreactor plant. The smart glass manufacturing facility designed by the team increases throughput, recycles waste, and conserves energy. These two processes could be combined to replace carbon-producing methods with carbon-consuming methods to help feed the world.