A STUDY OF FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS PERTINENT TO MICROBIOLOGICAL WASTE CONVERSION IN CONTROL OF ISOLATED ENVIRONMENTS.

The report is concerned with the determination of an optimum light arrangement for promoting algae growth, the design and construction of a unit incorporating these findings, the design and operation of specialized units to obtain effective waste treatment, and the development of an advanced model of the microterella. The experiments concerned with the geometry of the light source were done with the use of shallow 1 cm with respect to light source cultures. Highest daily yields were obtained with a bilateral-alternate arrangement of light source, despite the fact that some inhibition may have been caused by an excessively high light intensity, as was evidenced by the relatively low chlorophyl content 0.87 per cent of the algae cells. A novel lightweight system, the algatron, was developed in which photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic microorganisms could be cultured at a controlled depth either in a weightless state or in a gravitational field and with an extremely efficient utilization of electrical and either solar or artificial light energy. The principles involved and the results of experiments with a preliminary model are presented in detail.