The optimisation of microalgae growth in medium based on palm oil mill effluent (POME) from effluent of biogas plant of Felda Sg. Tengi palm oil mill / Jailani Salihon and Meor Ahmad Faez Mohd Hassan

This paper reports on the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and agitation rate on
microalgae growth in medium based on the effluent of the biogas plant of Felda Sg. Tengi Palm Oil
Mill supplemented with palm oil mill effluent (POME) from their first facultative pond. Two
variables which are CO2 concentration (X1) and agitation rate (X2) are used to optimise the
microalgae growth using a 22
factorial design which was complemented to make a composite
design. The linear regression model was used to analyse the results of the 22 factorial experiment
and determine whether it contains the maximum point. The quadratic regression model was used to
analyse the results of the composite design experiments and optimise the microalgae growth based
on maximum biomass concentration (xm). The theoretical maximum point for xm from the quadratic
regression model was predicted to be at 16.03% CO2 concentration and 0.9 vvm agitation with the
theoretical maximum xm predicted to be 42.6158 g/l.