Algae

Promising source of
transportation fuel
Fast growing, low space
requirements, high
output

Algae and Biodiesel

Algae Biodiesel is a good replacement for
standard crop biodiesels like soy and canola
Up to 70% of algae biomass is usable oils
Algae does not compete for land and space with
other agricultural crops
Algae can survive in water of high salt content
and use water that was previously deemed
unusable
A 1-ha algae farm on wasteland can produce
over 10 to 100 times of oil as compared to any
other known source of oil crop.

Macroalgae
Macroalgae, or seaweeds, are multicellular
plants growing in salt or fresh water. They are
often fast growing and can reach sizes of up to
60 m in length.
They are classied into three broad groups based
on their pigmentation:
(1) brown seaweed (Phaeophyceae), (2) red
seaweed (Rhodophyceae), and
(3) green seaweed (Chlorophyceae).

Micro algae
Microalgae are microscopic photosynthetic organisms that
are found in both marine and freshwater environments.
Simple cellular structure
The three most important classes of microalgae in terms
of abundance are the diatoms, the green algae, and the
golden algae.
The cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are also referred to
as microalgae. This applies, for example, to Spirulina.
Diatoms are the dominant life form in phytoplankton
and probably represent the largest group of biomass
producers on Earth.

Finding the Right Algae

Over 40,000 species of algae have been
identified, likely hundreds of thousands
more to be discovered

 Microalgae contain lipids and fatty acids as membrane

components, storage products, metabolites, and
sources of energy.
Algae contain anywhere from 2 to 40% of lipids/oils
by weight.
Essential elements include N, P, Fe and, in some cases,
silicon.

Amazing Algae
Dunaliella salina and Haematococcus pluvialis are
sources of high value carotenoids, beta carotene and
astaxanthin, respectively.
Dunaliella salina is produced for its high beta carotene,
a pro vitamin A content.
It is cultivated using a hypersaline growth
medium (~100 g/l of salt , >3 times seawater), which
discourages most competing algae and
grazers, while inducing a high content of carotenoids
within the algae cell.

Waste stream remediation

Potential waste streams include municipal
wastewater to remove nitrates and phosphates
before discharge, and flue gas of coal or other
combustible-based power plants to capture
sulfates and CO2.

The Source of Algae Energy

Current utilization

Aquaculture
Animal feed
Biofertilizer
Protein supplement
Co-firing to produce electricity
Bio-oil production via pyrolysis
Biomethanation (from marine biomass)

Extracting oil from algae

Methanol + NaOH

Glycerol

Press
Algae

OR

Transesterification

Separation

Chemical
extraction

Biodiesel

Storing the Suns Energy

(Photosynthesis)
What is needed
Sunlight
CO2
Nutrients

Storage of
Energy
Lipids and oils
Carbohydrates
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

Non Polar Storage Lipids

Triacylglycerols
Hyrocarbons
Botryococcus braunii species
On hydrocracking, the distillate yields 67% gasoline, 15%
aviation turbine fuel, 15% diesel fuel, and 3% residual oil.
The unit area yield of oil is estimated to be from 5000 to
20,000 gal acre-1 year-1 (7,70030,600 L/ ha).
This is 730 times greater that the best oil crop, palm oil (635
gal acre-1 year-1) .

What affects oil production?

Climate
Cold weather reduces algae oil production
Overcast days reduce sunlight and lower oil
production

Nutrients
Depletion of Nitrogen and Silicate

Production
Algae cultivation has four basic, and equally
important, requirements: carbon, water, light,
and space.
By maximizing the quality and quantity of
these requirements, it is possible to maximize
the quantity of oil-rich biomass and the
return on investment.

TAG
In general, TAG synthesis is favoured in the light
period when TAG is stored in cytosolic lipid bodies
and then reutilized for polar lipid synthesis in the
dark .

Nitrogen deprivation seems to be a major factor

which is important for the stimulation of TAG
synthesis.
Many algae sustain a two- to three-fold increase in
lipid content, predominantly TAG, under nitrogen
limitation.

Effect of Salt
The biomass was found to increase with
increasing concentrations (from 17 to 85 mM)
of NaCl and the maximum Biomass yield was
achieved in 17 and 34 mM salinity.
The total lipid content of this alga was also
affected by salinity varying from 24 to 28%
(wt/wt) whereas in control it was 20%.

Effect of Temperature
One of the most important environmental factors that
influences algal growth rate, cell size, biochemical
composition and nutrient requirements.
A temperature shift from 30 to 12C increased the level
of lipid unsaturation in Dunaliella salina signicantly.
Lower temperatures resulted in increased relative
amounts of the polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Botryococcus braunii
In a study involving Botryococcus braunii, a green
alga, differences in lipid composition were
observed at three different growth temperatures
(18 C, 25 C, and 32 C).
Intracellular lipid synthesis was found to be
inhibited at supra-optimal temperature (32 C);
Lipid content decreased to 5% dry weight at 32
C in comparison with 22% at 25 C.
The decrease in lipid content led to an
accumulation of polysaccharides.

Effect of Light
Light intensity also inuences algal lipid
metabolism and, therefore, lipid composition.
High light exposure (300 m mol photons.m-2.s)
decreased the total phospholipid content and
increased the level of non-polar lipids, namely
TAG, in the lamentous green alga

Chladophora sp.

Light:dark cycles also have a signicant effect

on algal lipid composition.

From Research
The light regimes used were 100 m mol photons.m-2.s1 on a 12:12 h light:dark (L:D) cycle; 50 m mol
photons.m-2.s-1 on a 24:0 h L:D cycle and 100 m mol
photons.m-2.s-1 on a 24:0 h L:D cycle.
For 100 m mol (24h), there was an increase in TAG
and reduced % of total polar lipids.
Cell grown under 100 m mol at 12:12 h L:D conditions
contained a higher proportion of PUFAs and a lower
proportion of saturated and monounsaturated fatty
acids.

Industrial reactors
(1)Photobioreactors
(2) Open raceway ponds
(3) Closed and hybrid systems

The Algae Pond

http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

Mass Production of Algae

http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

Greenhouse

The use of CO2 for

growing algae

Horizontal mode

Vertical mode

Earthrise Nutritionals, California (Left) and Cynotech in Hawaii (Right)

Roswell Algae Test Facility,

New Mexico

Algae harvesting
Algae can be harvested by centrifugation, occulation, or
froth otation.
Alum and ferric chloride are chemical occulants used to
harvest algae.
Autoflocculation : by stopping CO2 supply
Two major processes: (1) Bulk harvesting (2) Thickening

Recovery of Biomass

The low cost recovery of microalgae, whilst conceivable

simple, has proven to be difcult to achieve due to the
fact that microalgae suspensions are colloidal and consist
of highly disperse particles (discontinuous phase)
distributed uniformly throughout a dispersion medium
(continuous phase).

Choosing an Algae
Important
characteristics of
Algae
High % of total biomass
is oil
Maintains a high % of
oil even under stress
Compatible with the
area climate

Productivity of algal strains

reported in some outdoor
photobioreactors

Algal lipids

Algal lipids can be divided into two main groups:

Non-polar lipids (acylglycerols, sterols, free (non-esteri

ed) fatty acids, hydrocarbons, wax and steryl esters)
Polar lipids (phosphoglycerides, glycosylglycerides)

Phosphoglycerides, glycosylglycerides and sterols are

essential structural components of biological
membranes.
These lipids maintain specic membrane functions and
provide the permeability barrier surrounding cells and
between organelles within cells, as well as providing a
matrix for various metabolic processes.

Advantages
Rapid growth rates
Grows practically anywhere
A high per-acre yield (7 to 31 times greater than the
next best crop, palm oil)
No need to use crops such as palms to produce oil
Can be harvested daily
Algae biofuel contains no sulfur
Algae biofuel is nontoxic

Advantages.
Algae biofuel is highly biodegradable
Algal oil extracts can be used as livestock
feed and even processed into ethanol
High levels of polyunsaturates in algal
biodiesel are suitable for cold weather
climates
Can reduce carbon emissions based on where
its grown

Disadvantages
Produces unstable biodiesel with many
polyunsaturates
Biodiesel performs poorly compared to its
mainstream alternative
Relatively new technology; not economical with
current state of the art.

Major Challenges

Strain isolation
Nutrients: phosphorous, nitrogen, iron and sulfur
Land use
Water use Water vs fuel debate?
Harvesting
Coproduct recovery and utilization (High protein)
Refining
Residual biomass utilization

Scale up Issues
Competitor algae
Predators such as
microscopic animals
Diseases such as virus
and bacteria
Abiotic factors

Innovations

Algenol
Aurora Algae
Sapphire Energy
Solarvest Bioenergy

The technological circuit of installation of a bioreactor