Project Sites and Laboratories

The site of implementation would be in Brgy. Parong-Parong, Hagonoy, Bulacan. An approximately 2000 square meter brackish pond was utilized for the cultivation of lab-lab for the entire project duration using the grant in order to grow and provide the lab-lab biomass. The pond will also serve as the test location for the developing harvesters. Mr. Ian Bernas, the lab-lab farmer, is also considered an expert in cultivation of aquaproducts due to his 15 years of experience in business and thus was interviewed as well.

Analytical Lab (DLSU)

The analytical lab is where chemical engineers conduct tests to characterize biochemical properties of microalgae. The lab houses several equipment such as the freeze dryer, gas chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Photobioreactor and Drying Lab (DLSU)

The photobioreactor (PBR) and drying lab is where microalgae biomass are mass produced using photobioreactors and dried using the vacuum dryer for drying characteristics. The lab houses the accordion PBR and the different drying technologies such as the vacuum dryer, convective oven dryer, and solar dryer.

The convective dryer operates by transferring heat to the dried material through convection from a preheated fluid. The vacuum dryer operates by decreasing the pressure of the drying chamber to improve the evaporation rate of the dried material while transferring mechanically generated heat to the dried material through conduction from the chamber walls. The solar dryer operated by directly irradiating the dried material with sunlight and transferring heat to the dried material through convection from a solar heated fluid.