>>From: Jim Bowery <jabowery@...>
>>Subject: [oil_from_algae] Re: Can MMW Irradiation Double Algae Growth?
>>To: oil_from_algae@yahoogroups.com
>>Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 6:44 PM

>>

>>"200-kW/cm2 peak incident power density"
>>
>>That doesn't look right. Shouldn't that be 200-mW/cm2?

 

 

Possibly.  Probably.  It could be a translation error.  But the article

says."200-kW/cm2".  The following excerpt from "MMW in Agriculture.pdf"

from the files area  _may_  help clariy the claims:

 

"In order to increase microalgae and producers biomass output as
well as shorten the time of biotechnological process, a device
has been developed which, according to a preliminary introduced
program, carries out irradiation at definite moments in the
cycle of microalgae cultivation. In this case parameters of
electromagnetic radiation of low intensity are automatically
changed depending on the time of cultivation.

 

The experiments conducted in Israel and Russia have shown that
microalgae biomass steadily increases for 250-400% and
producers biomass increases for 180-300%. In this case
oxidizing ability (activity) of irradiated microalgae cultural
medium ranges up to 264%, while that of non-irradiated
microalgae attains only 110%.

 

The given development differs from the existing devices for
stimulating increase in cultivated biological object biomass by
application of nonradioactive millimeter electromagnetic
radiation (40-120 GHz) of low intensity (3-8 microWatt per sq
cm), by increase in bioreactor (fermenter) productivity for 2-4
times, by better quality of output produce, by environmental
safety of output produce as well as by saving power and water
for 30-40% and by lower self-cost of output products in
biotechnological process..

 

Laboratory and semi-industrial tests of an attachment model
have been carried out in Russia, Ukraine and Israel. Increase
in microalgae biomass is observed in phases cultivation (D) and
stress (S) during the industrial process of microalgae
cultivation. As follows from data of experiments weight of
microalgae biomass Haematococcus pluvialis which has been
irradiated before phases D and S attained correspondingly 119%
and 141% of microalgae biomass control group. Data of
experiments show that the weight of isolated (produced) pigment
Astaxanthin was equal to 187% (on the 7th day of cultivation)
and 219% (on the 9th day of cultivation) of the weight of
pigment isolated from microalgae control group.

 

Data of experiments show that in case the physiological
solution was irradiated before phase D and then added to
culture medium with microalgae, biomass of such microalgae
group increases with further cultivation (in phase D) for
150-187% in comparison to the control biomass of microalgae
group which wasnąt subjected to radiation. Biomass of such
cultivated microalgae group increases for 1.55 times in
comparison to microalgae group which was completely irradiated
before phase D.

 

Absence of non-specific initial conditions influence on
cultivation process shows stable manifestation of biological
effects with millimeter irradiation which was certified by
experimental data obtained during an experiment using the same
equipment of industrial tubular bioreactor in August and
September 2003 (at different meteorological conditions).

Low intensity of radiation (3-8 microWatt per sq cm) and
short duration of radiation (short time of radiation exposure)
(up to 60 minutes) makes it possible to state that vigorous
growth of microalgae and pigment biomass is caused not by
temperature increase but only by the influence of millimeter
electromagnetic radiation on cultivated medium.  The results of
semi-industrial experiments conducted in Israel completely
certified biological effects of waves in mm range which have
been obtained in Russia and Ukraine during laboratory tests.
These tests and semi-industrial experiments carried out for the
first time, have shown that irradiation by MMW causes intensive
development in cultures of photosynthesizing microalgae and
their pigments."

I get the impression that these claims are not entirely free of

controversy even in the Former Soviet Union, where they were

developed.

 

I don't know how much confidence these reports deserve (which is
why the suibject line was phrased as a question.)  But I thought that

it would be worthwhile to pass them on to the group.

 

 

---rsb

Ron Brown

19NOV2008