Modeling the effects of microalga biochemical content on the kinetics and biocrude yields from hydrothermal liquefaction

Sheehan, James D.; Savage, Phillip E.

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2017.05.013

Cited by 80 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Biocrude can be produced via hydrothermal liquefaction. This thermochemical process uses the entire wet biomass; however, a biomass rich in lipid content produces higher biocrude yield and quality (52,53). Biodiesel uses the lipid fraction of the algal biomass.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Engineering Helps Maximize Function in Algal Oil Production

Jackrel

Narwani

Bentlage

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Algal biofuels have the potential to curb emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, but current growing methods fail to produce fuels that meet the multiple standards necessary for economical industrial use. For example, algae grown as monocultures for biofuel production have not simultaneously and economically achieved high yields of the high-quality, lipid-rich biomass desired for the industrial-scale production of bio-oil. Decades of study in the field of ecology have demonstrated that simultaneous increases in multiple functions, such as the quantity and quality of biomass, can occur in natural ecosystems by increasing biological diversity. Here we show that species consortia of algae can improve the production of bio-oil, which benefits from both high biomass yield and high quality of biomass rich in fatty acids. We explain the underlying causes of increased quantity and quality of algal biomass among species consortia by showing that, relative to monocultures, species consortia can differentially regulate lipid metabolism genes while growing to higher levels of biomass, in part due to greater utilization of nutrient resources. We identify multiple genes involved in lipid biosynthesis that are frequently upregulated in bicultures, and further show that these elevated levels of gene expression are highly predictive of the elevated levels in biculture relative to monoculture of multiple quality metrics of algal biomass. These results show that interactions between species can alter the expression of lipid metabolism genes, and further demonstrate that our understanding of diversity-function relationships from natural ecosystems can be harnessed to improve production of bio-oil. Algal biofuels are one of the more promising forms of renewable energy. In our study, we investigate whether ecological interactions between species of microalgae regulate two important factors in cultivation - the biomass of the crop produced and quality of the biomass that is produced. We find that species interactions often improved production yields, especially the fatty acid content of the algal biomass, and that differentially expressed genes involved in fatty acid metabolism are predictive of improved quality metrics of bio-oil. Other studies have found that diversity often improves productivity and stability in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Our results provide further evidence that growing multi-species crops of microalgae may improve the production of high-quality biomass for bio-oil.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Engineering Helps Maximize Function in Algal Oil Production

Jackrel

Narwani

Bentlage

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Reaction temperature and catalysts are two important factors in hydrothermal liquefaction that decide the fractionation of water-soluble and water-insoluble biocrude from algae [ 153 ]. Sheehan and Savage (2017) developed a kinetic model for hydrothermal liquefaction to predict the biocrude yield from protein, lipid, and carbohydrate rich microalgae, and suggested that feedstocks containing more proteins or lipids give higher biocrude yields than those that are abundant in carbohydrates [ 154 ]. For example, Hietala et al (2016) performed isothermal and non- isothermal hydrothermal liquefaction with microalgae Nannochloropsis sp.…”

Section: Pretreatment Of Oleaginous Microbial Biomass To Extract Lmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Current Pretreatment Methods Used to Improve Lipid Extraction from Oleaginous Microorganisms

2018

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Microbial oils, obtained from oleaginous microorganisms are an emerging source of commercially valuable chemicals ranging from pharmaceuticals to the petroleum industry. In petroleum biorefineries, the microbial biomass has become a sustainable source of renewable biofuels. Biodiesel is mainly produced from oils obtained from oleaginous microorganisms involving various upstream and downstream processes, such as cultivation, harvesting, lipid extraction, and transesterification. Among them, lipid extraction is a crucial step for the process and it represents an important bottleneck for the commercial scale production of biodiesel. Lipids are synthesized in the cellular compartment of oleaginous microorganisms in the form of lipid droplets, so it is necessary to disrupt the cells prior to lipid extraction in order to improve the extraction yields. Various mechanical, chemical and physicochemical pretreatment methods are employed to disintegrate the cellular membrane of oleaginous microorganisms. The objective of the present review article is to evaluate the various pretreatment methods for efficient lipid extraction from the oleaginous cellular biomass available to date, as well as to discuss their advantages and disadvantages, including their effect on the lipid yield. The discussed mechanical pretreatment methods are oil expeller, bead milling, ultrasonication, microwave, high-speed and high-pressure homogenizer, laser, autoclaving, pulsed electric field, and non-mechanical methods, such as enzymatic treatment, including various emerging cell disruption techniques.

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“…As is the case with biogas, the biomass does not have to be dried beforehand for HTL , eliminating an energy‐ and cost‐intensive processing step. The bio‐oil yield increases with higher protein and lipid content as well as with lower carbohydrate content of the microalgae . Since the bio‐oil still contains considerable amounts of hetero atoms, those have to be removed by means of thermic or catalytic processes before utilization as fuel, e.g., by addition of hydrogen at high temperatures.…”

Section: Bioenergy From Microalgaementioning

confidence: 99%

Bioenergy from Microalgae – Vision or Reality?

et al. 2018

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Microalgae are often heralded as a miracle cure to solve future questions concerning energy and food supply of the world's population. This is due to their vastly superior area productivity compared to terrestrial plants and the feasibility of cultivating them independently of arable land and fresh water. Algal biomass can be used as food and feed as well as a source for a plethora of biofuels and high value products such as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. This review article seeks to shed light on recent advances in microalgal technology and their potential for the production of biofuels.

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Modeling the effects of microalga biochemical content on the kinetics and biocrude yields from hydrothermal liquefaction

Cited by 80 publications

References 24 publications

Ecological Engineering Helps Maximize Function in Algal Oil Production

Ecological Engineering Helps Maximize Function in Algal Oil Production

An Overview of Current Pretreatment Methods Used to Improve Lipid Extraction from Oleaginous Microorganisms

Bioenergy from Microalgae – Vision or Reality?

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