Gravity Sedimentation

Gravity sedimentation is a simple process used for the separation of algae in water and wastewater treatment, which is often supported by flocculation to upsurge the effectiveness of gravity sedimentation (Chen et al. 2011). Another model of gravity sedimentation procedure is flotation, which is considered more effectual and advan­tageous as compared to sedimentation and can capture the bits with thickness of less than 500 pm (Yoon and Luttrell 1989). The operative and efficient methods for harvesting of algal biomass include centrifugation and chemical precipitation (Chen et al. 2011). These procedures are not economically practicable for harvesting of algae due to high procedure charge of centrifugation or chemical flocculants for the production of biogas. Filtration also appears to have great prospective for condens­ing algal biomass from bulk culture, integration of different techniques such as floc­culation, gravity sedimentation, or flotation can also be done. For biogas production, concentrated slurry is considered as a good substrate for anaerobic digestion (Prajapati et al. 2012, 2013). The consumption of wet algal biomass reduces the water necessity, which is required in excessive amount for the digestion of conven­tional biomass, for biogas production.