Macroalgae-based integrated biorefinery for hydrocolloids, chemicals and advanced biofuels production

Process Systems Engineering Approach for the Sustainable Design of Cyanobacteria-Based Integrated Biorefineries and Their Heat Exchanger Network

“…As the optimal pathway does not account for the PHB extraction and purification section (S4) or the diethyl ether and hydrogen conversion sections (bioethanol is not further processed), the associated heat exchangers for these sections remain unused. It should be noted that stream splitting is not considered since this operation is not always attractive from a practical point of view, as it was previously presented by Casoni et al 9 Different utilities, including low-pressure steam (LPS), medium-pressure steam (MPS), and high-pressure steam (HPS), are available for use. In the optimal configuration, HX4 and HX1 use LPS and HPS, respectively.…”

“…As the optimal pathway does not account for the PHB extraction and purification section (S4) or the diethyl ether and hydrogen conversion sections (bioethanol is not further processed), the associated heat exchangers for these sections remain unused. It should be noted that stream splitting is not considered since this operation is not always attractive from a practical point of view, as it was previously presented by Casoni et al…”

“…Biofuels produced from algae biomass are considered third-generation but are not yet commercially produced due to the high production costs, leading to the need to improve production rates and separation processes efficiency . As algae produce other commercial products, like pigments, bioplastics, and pharmaceuticals, among others, research efforts have been made to study the cultivation of algae alongside the production of value-added compounds under an integrated biorefinery approach. − Furthermore, fourth-generation biofuels, which are produced directly by genetically modified microorganisms, constitute a more recently studied alternative. Cyanobacteria are a promising source for this type of biofuels as they can grow only on light, CO 2 , and minimal nutrient concentration through photosynthesis, producing bioplastics and other value-added compounds, such as pigments, along with biofuels.…”

Aprovechamiento de algas en el territorio patagónico: evaluación de su impacto ambiental

“…El análisis se centrará en la obtención final de 600 t/a de biosolvente DMI . Este escenario se compara con el de obtención de 244 t/a de alginato de sodio y 322 t/a de DMI 2022). En ambos casos, se requieren 1864 t/a de macroalga para la obtención de productos.…”

“…La segunda etapa implicó la realización de un inventario de datos de cada uno de los recursos de entrada y salida que afectan al producto teniendo en cuenta los límites de la biorrefinería estudiada y la unidad funcional previamente establecida. Es importante mencionar que todos los flujos necesarios para llevar a cabo el LCA se obtuvieron a partir de los trabajos previamente publicados por Casoni et al (2020;2022). En esta etapa se cuenta con bases de datos que contribuyen a recopilación de informacion de manera confiable para diversos productos y procesos.…”