Algal Biore nery: An Integrated Approach

479 Pages·2015·9.15 MB·English

Debabrata Das Editor
Algal Biorefi nery:
An Integrated
Approach
Algal Biorefi nery: An Integrated Approach

Debabrata Das
Editor
Algal Biorefi nery:
An Integrated Approach
Editor
Debabrata Das
Department of Biotechnology
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur , India
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ISBN 978-3-319-22812-9 ISBN 978-3-319-22813-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-22813-6
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Foreword
Algae was intensively studied for biofuel production
from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s; however,
in 1996 as the oil prices dipped to $20/barrel, algal bio-
fuel research was abandoned as it seemed like a distant
possibility against the low cost fossil fuels. However,
by 2009, as oil prices reached $100 per barrel, amid
rising concerns about domestic energy security and
greenhouse gas emissions, the voyage in algal-based
biofuels was re-embarked in a major way.
Microalgae are single-cell, photosynthetic organ-
isms known for their rapid growth and high energy
content. Some algal strains have a rapid doubling speed of several times per day. In
some cases, more than half of that mass consists of lipids or triacylglycerides—the
same material found in vegetable oils. These bio-oils can be used to produce
advanced biofuels such as biodiesel, ethanol, green gasoline, biohydrogen and
green jet fuel.
A lgal biofuels are not economical to produce using the technology available
today. Based on conservative estimates, algal biofuels produced in large volumes
with current technology would cost more than the extraction of regular vegetable
oil. Lowering this cost will require coordinated R&D efforts over the next decade.
Although the technical challenges are signifi cant, the broad public benefi t of
successfully commercializing algal biofuels warrants placing a high priority on the
needed research. Particular attention must be paid to the engineering of sustainable
microalgal systems. Against this background, the release of a book based on inte-
grated algal biofuels appears well coordinated.
U sing algal biomass for extracting one product might not be commercially fea-
sible, thus the concept of biorefi nery has surfaced. Under this concept, from algal
biomass various products could be harnessed thereby making the process economi-
cally viable. Biochemical compounds such as pigments, PHB and starch produced
by algae could be used in various fi elds. Many antioxidant, pharmacy-relevant
compounds have been identifi ed in algae like carotenoids, phycobillin proteins etc.
v
vi Foreword
However, the commercial application and potential of algal products encompass a
far wider perimeter than what has been explored.
I n recent times, researchers have shown interest towards the bioremediation
property of algae. The ability to trap heavy metals and toxic compounds in waste-
water makes algae a suitable candidate for bioremediation. The challenges and
prospect of algal bioremediation have been comprehensively encored in this book.
Readers would fi nd a detailed review of heavy metal remediation and engineering
challenges of implementation of such technology. This book thus represents all
aspects of algal biorefi nery concept.
This book is a concerted effort to bring all the major areas of the emerging tech-
nologies in algal biology together under one cover. These include: biomass produc-
tion, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, biorefi nery, feedstock conversion into fuels,
bioproducts, and scale up of the technology.
I strongly recommend this book to energy scientists, engineers and student
enthusiasts who are interested in algal-based biofuel research as well as to industrial
concerns that are seeking inexpensive algal-based technologies. This book thus
serves as an ideal platform to discuss the wider scope of algal research. It could be
an ideal v ade mecum for students, researchers environmentalist etc. who want to
know the prospect of algal technologies towards sustainable development of
mankind.
Uppsala University Peter Lindblad
Uppsala , Sweden
Pref ace
A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us. (F ranz Kafka )
R apid industrialization and anthropological activity has dented the environment
to a great extent. Outcome of such activities lead to global weather changes. In
recent times, the world economics has shown a positive correlation between per
capita energy consumption and per capita growth of gross domestic production
(GDP). The major contributor towards the energy demand for past century was
mainly based on fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, petroleum, etc. The emission
of greenhouse gases are responsible for the increase of earth’s temperature thus
leading to the global warming. The reservoirs of fossil fuels are shrinking rapidly
and might be available for one more century only. An urgent necessity for future
fuel has gained interest in recent times. Future fuel should be renewable in nature,
carbon neutral and easily accessible.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide has been captured by photoautotrophic life to pro-
duce biomass. Terrestrial phototrophic organisms such as plants, trees, herbs and
shrubs are advanced organisms and effi ciently capture CO as their biomass. They
2
are also an integral part of the food web of the ecosystem. The terrestrial photoau-
totrophic biomass could be used as feedstock for fuels and biochemical products but
it can supply a fraction of the total energy need. Moreover, destruction of natural
habitats associated with terrestrial photoautotrophic biomass could pose a serious
environmental and ecological threat. On comparison with terrestrial photoautotro-
phic organisms, aquatic photoautotrophs are less developed. But they have huge
potential as feedstock for fuel and biochemical products. The faster growth rate,
non-stringent nutritional demand and ease of cultivation are the salient features of
algal biomass production. They can capture atmospheric CO and can convert them
2
to biomass. Use of such biomass could offset the dependency on conventional fossil
fuels. Cultivation of algae could counter the debate regarding “food vs fuel” as it
doesn’t require fertile land or any other seasonal requirements. Many technologies
have been developed to realize the potential of algae.
A biorefi nery integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce
fuels, power, heat, and value-added chemicals from biomass. For realizing the
vii
viii Preface
commercial potential of algae, a biorefi nery concept has been envisioned that could
help to extract maximum benefi ts out of algal biomass. A refi nery concept promotes
harvesting of multiple products from the feedstock so as to make the process eco-
nomically attractive. A functional biorefi nery operation should encompass effi cient
technologies for production, extraction, collection of feedstock, transportation of
feedstock and products, life cycle analysis, favourable policies, etc. For last few
decades, algal biomass has been explored for various products such as fuel, pig-
ments, pharmaceuticals, bioremediation, etc. To meet the huge demand of algal
biomass, a greater emphasis has been given on large scale production of algal bio-
mass in closed or open photobioreactors. Different nutritional conditions for algal
growth have been explored like photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, mixotrophic and
oleaginous. Open raceway ponds were also explored for studying the effect of sea-
sonal changes on algal productivity. The present book deals with different aspects
of algal production systems. These provide a background of the state-of-the-art
technologies towards algal cultivation, CO sequestration, and large scale applica-
2
tion of algal cultivation systems. Suitability of algal biomass as feedstock for biofu-
els has been discussed in details. The present book also highlights the potential
chemicals extracted from algae that could be used in pharmaceutical industries.
Moreover, importance of algal biomass as food supplement to counter defi ciency of
vital nutrients is also discussed elaborately. The bioremediation ability of algae is
highlighted in few chapters where it is proposed that heavy metal contamination
could be mitigated through algae cultivation. Moreover, wastewater can also be
used for algal cultivation thereby helping in overall reduction in chemical oxygen
demand. Thus an effective wastewater management concomitant with energy pro-
duction could be achieved via algal cultivation.
This book is aimed at a wide audience, mainly undergraduates, postgraduates,
energy researchers, scientists in industries and organizations, energy specialists,
policy makers, energy specialists, research faculty and others who wish to know the
Algal Biorefi nery as also wish to get abreast with the latest developments. Each
chapter in the book begins with the fundamental explanation for general readers and
ends in in-depth scientifi c details suitable for expert readers. Algal bioengineering
laboratories may fi nd this book a ready reference for their routine use.
We hope this book will be useful to our readers!
Kharagpur, India Debabrata Das
Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 1
Debabrata Das
2 CO Sequestration Through Algal Biomass Production ...................... 35
2
Kanhaiya Kumar , Sanjiv Kumar Mishra , Gang-Guk Choi ,
and Ji-Won Yang
3 Growth Characteristics of Different Algal Species .............................. 5 9
Sanjeev Mishra and Kaustubha Mohanty
4 Perspectives on Algal Engineering for Enhanced
Biofuel Production .................................................................................. 7 3
Namita Khanna
5 Photobioreactors for Improved Algal Biomass
Production: Analysis and Design Considerations ................................ 103
Ankush Karemore , Dineshkumar Ramalingam , Geetanjali Yadav ,
Ganeshan Subramanian , and Ramkrishna Sen
6 Scale-up Problems for the Large Scale Production of Algae .............. 1 25
Teresa Lopes da Silva and Alberto Reis
7 Large Scale Algal Biomass (Spirulina) Production in India ................ 1 51
D. Selvendran
8 Improvement of Harvesting Technology for Algal
Biomass Production ................................................................................ 1 69
Supratim Ghosh and Debabrata Das
9 Prospect of Marine Algae for Production of Industrially
Important Chemicals .............................................................................. 195
Ramasamy Anbuchezhian , Valliappan Karuppiah , and Zhiyong Li
10 Recent Developments on Algae as a Nutritional Supplement ............. 2 19
Hari Niwas Mishra , Anupriya Mazumder , and P. Prabhuthas
ix