Large-scale cultivation of microalgae for fuel

• Main Authors: Canter, Christina E., Razon, Luis F., Blowers, Paul
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Microalgae—Cultures and culture media; Separation (Technology); Biomass energy; Chemical Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/4426
• Institution: De La Salle University

Microalgae have been investigated for energy in the case of biofuels and cofiring with coal for electricity production. For biofuels, microalgae are viewed as sources of renewable energy that produce less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels. This chapter first discusses the large-scale production of microalgae for fuel. There are three main areas that address the large-scale production of these aquatic organisms: cultivation, harvesting and dewatering, and conversion to products. For cultivation, the types of species and their selection, growth systems, chemicals required for growth, and commercial production are discussed. The chapter then addresses the difficulties in separating the microalgae species from the growth medium, which includes microalgal physical traits that ease separation. Next, it discusses some common separation technologies with their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the chapter describes the products that can be made from the lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, along with methods for converting those constituents into fuel.