Use of double-glazed window as a photobioreactor for CO2 removal from air

Abstract

The important issue of increasing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere requires developing the environmentally sustainable strategies. One of the most innovative approaches in building design is using the microalgae photobioreactor (PBR) façades. In the current research, performance of a new green window was examined as an environmentally friendly method for the noted purpose. This window is a double-glazed window wherein the space enclosed by its two glasses was used as a PBR system. This window was investigated in two different conditions, namely as a window installed in a wall opening as a building façade element and also in laboratory condition. The experiments of the former condition were performed in Tehran city, where is known for the greatest air-polluted city in Iran, while tests of the later were carried out in Bablosar city located in northern Iran. Experiments include measuring absorption amounts of CO2, temperature, optical density of cultivation medium, and evaporation. The obtained results validate performance of the proposed green window in decreasing CO2 amounts. It was also observed that microalgae growth decreased the window transparency so that, in observing the general rules of Islamic and Iranian architecture, can enhance the visual privacy from non-mahram adjacent neighbors for Muslim women.