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The long term goal of this research is to develop a program that integrates biofuels and biomaterials production, animal waste treatment, and CO2 bioremediation together into an enclosed system. The general idea is shown in the figure below. Wastes from dairy or feedlot are fed into an anaerobic digester to produce methane and CO2. CO2 is bubbled into algae PBR system along with the input of liquid manure and lagoon water as the medium. Algae is harvested and oil is extracted. The starch or fiber part of algae can be fermented to ethanol. Ethanol reacts with algae oil to make biodiesel and glycerol. CO2 from fermentation is also re-circulated back to the algae PBR system. The algae solid that can not be used is fed into the anaerobic digester. In this enclosed and integrated system, biogas, ethanol, biodiesel, glycerol, clean water, and fertilizer can all be output, and nothing is wasted.
For the 10-week REU research, two projects will be conducted focusing on the two major components of the research described above: anaerobic digestion and algae culture. The two projects will be connected together, and two students are expected to work together and share research ideas and results.