INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZED ALGAL PRODUCTION IN OPEN PONDS
Tarek Farouk Aly Fayed;
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Microalgae can metabolize various waste streams and convert the wastes into
carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, which can be used to produce a wide variety of
products. Lipids can be processed into biodiesel; carbohydrates into bioethanol and
biomethanol; and proteins can be used as food supplement for humans and animal
feedstock. Thus, microalgal cultivation can contribute to CO2 mitigation and nutrients
recovery from wastewater and thus could be considered of high economic value. The
present work aims to setup an integrated system which can optimize the microalgae
productivity in open ponds along with reducing the capital cost needed to be
commercially viable, through:
1-Enhancing the method of mixing of suspended algae to keep the algae cells always
suspended next to the surface of the culture allowing the ability of increasing the
depth of the algae pond without any increase in the power consumption, as well as
the use of the economic paddlewheel method for mixing algal broth. Moreover
increasing the depth of the algae pond leads to a decrease in the needed land area
infrastructure.
2- Using captured CO2 released from incineration of agriculture residues (rice husk and
corn stalk) in fluidized bed combustion, as a source of cheap carbon dioxide.
3- Using municipal wastewater ingredients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) as a source
of cheap macro nutrients.
Results proved that microalgae cultivated in a 90 cm deep straight pond equipped
with mobile electro-mechanical mixer, achieved the same growth rate, with lower
power consumption than that cultivated in a traditional 30 cm deep raceway pond.
Moreover, reductions in ammonia and dissolved phosphate concentrations in
wastewater in a straight pond are approximately equal to that in a traditional raceway
pond.
Microalgae cultivated in a pond pumped with CO2 gas resulting from the
incineration of agriculture residues (rice husk and corn stalk), achieved higher growth
rate with lower hydraulic retention time than that cultivated without feeding carbon
dioxide.
The final result showed that the capital cost of algal production was reduced by
about 30% as a result of reducing cost of mixing by about 25 % which represents over
10% from the total cost.
Microalgae can metabolize various waste streams and convert the wastes into
carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, which can be used to produce a wide variety of
products. Lipids can be processed into biodiesel; carbohydrates into bioethanol and
biomethanol; and proteins can be used as food supplement for humans and animal
feedstock. Thus, microalgal cultivation can contribute to CO2 mitigation and nutrients
recovery from wastewater and thus could be considered of high economic value. The
present work aims to setup an integrated system which can optimize the microalgae
productivity in open ponds along with reducing the capital cost needed to be
commercially viable, through:
1-Enhancing the method of mixing of suspended algae to keep the algae cells always
suspended next to the surface of the culture allowing the ability of increasing the
depth of the algae pond without any increase in the power consumption, as well as
the use of the economic paddlewheel method for mixing algal broth. Moreover
increasing the depth of the algae pond leads to a decrease in the needed land area
infrastructure.
2- Using captured CO2 released from incineration of agriculture residues (rice husk and
corn stalk) in fluidized bed combustion, as a source of cheap carbon dioxide.
3- Using municipal wastewater ingredients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) as a source
of cheap macro nutrients.
Results proved that microalgae cultivated in a 90 cm deep straight pond equipped
with mobile electro-mechanical mixer, achieved the same growth rate, with lower
power consumption than that cultivated in a traditional 30 cm deep raceway pond.
Moreover, reductions in ammonia and dissolved phosphate concentrations in
wastewater in a straight pond are approximately equal to that in a traditional raceway
pond.
Microalgae cultivated in a pond pumped with CO2 gas resulting from the
incineration of agriculture residues (rice husk and corn stalk), achieved higher growth
rate with lower hydraulic retention time than that cultivated without feeding carbon
dioxide.
The final result showed that the capital cost of algal production was reduced by
about 30% as a result of reducing cost of mixing by about 25 % which represents over
10% from the total cost.
Other data
| Title | INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZED ALGAL PRODUCTION IN OPEN PONDS | Authors | Tarek Farouk Aly Fayed | Issue Date | 2018 |
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