In the present study, the biomass productivity of two green microalgae (Chlorella sp. and Dunaliella salina DCCBC2) were assessed in a 12 L tubular photobioreactor under optimum culture conditions. In the batch culture optimization process, the Chlorella sp. biomass was obtained as 1.2 g/L under atmospheric air as a sole $CO_2$ source and other culture conditions as follows: light intensity, temperature, pH, $NH_4Cl$ and $K_2HPO_4$ were 100 ${\mu}E/m^2/s$, $27^{\circ}C$, 7.0, 20.0 mM and 2.0 mM, respectively. On the other hand, 2.9 g/L of D. salina DCCBC2 biomass production was observed under the following conditions: light intensity, temperature, pH, $KNO_3$ and $K_2HPO_4$were 80 ${\mu}E/m^2/s$, $27^{\circ}C$, 8.0, 3.0 mM and 0.025 mM, respectively. At 1% $CO_2$ supply to the reactor, the Chlorella sp. production was reached 1.53 g/L with 25% increment under the same operating conditions. In addition, the maximum D. salina DCCBC2 biomass was observed as 3.40 g/L at 3% $CO_2$ concentration. Based on the aforementioned optimized conditions, the dilution rate and maximal biomass productivity of Chlorella sp. and D. salina DCCBC2 in the continuous cultivation were 0.4/d and 0.6 g/L/d and 0.6/d and 1.5 g/L/d, respectively.

Keywords: green microalga, Chlorella, Dunaliella salina, photobioreactor, biomass productivity