Indoor Batch Algae Reactor - Materials

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Solar Tubes :
For this project we are really attempting to capture as much light as we can. To accomplish this we will be using a highly reflective solar tube for the main structure of our reactor. These are typically used in lighting applications to bring natural light into living spaces without major construction to create a typical skylight.

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Tubing:
For this project we used 80 feet of 1/2” OD 3/8” ID clear plastic tube. This will roughly hold a volume of 2 liters of fluid with an extra liter of fluid in the reservoir on top. This tube is available from any home improvement center and is about .20$ a foot.

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Lighting:
The core of this project is the light source. We used typical plant or aquarium bulbs that are ideally suited to our application. The light is on the warm side of the color spectrum and the bulbs don’t seem to get above 90 degrees.

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Acrylics:
For the top and the base of this project we opted to use acrylic for a couple of reasons. First off I had this material just lying around. Secondly I wanted to make this a bit of an art piece that I could enjoy in my house. I think the pictures at the end of this write up will show if I was successful at the attempt.

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Neon Transformer :
This transformer (also called ballast) is the smallest I could find and cost me about 9.00USD. This will power up to one 6 foot tall tube and worked out well for our project with our smaller tube. These can produce a lot of voltage so use caution and follow installation instructions carefully.