MICRO –Algae as a source of Bio DIESEL: CHALLENGES AND Future Prospects

1. Presented at All India Seminar On Energy Management Through Renewable Sources and Efficient technologies Institution of Engineers, Madhya Pradesh State Centre, Bhopal, 08-09th Jan, 2011 MICRO –Algae as a source of Bio DIESEL: CHALLENGES AND Future Prospects K.SudhakarAssistant professor, Energy Department,MANIT, Bhopal-462007, MP,India Dr. S. Suresh Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engg., MANIT, Bhopal-462007, MP, India Dr. (Mrs) M. Premalatha Associate Professor, CEESAT, NIT Trichi, TN, India

2. ‘Climate change poses a great challenge to our development prospects…....we need global response, a national response and a local response’ -------Hon. Dr. Manmohan Singh

3. Concerns for Global warming- Current Assessment IPCC Assessment First Report - 1990 Second Report - 1995 Third Report - 2001 Fourth Report - 2007 Average global temperature increase 1906-2005 – 0.74oC Expected Temperature rise up to the Year 2100 2.4 to 6.4 oC Expected Sea Level rise 18 to 59 cm

4. Major and Minor Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming Potential Major greenhouse gas concentrations of CO2, NOx, CFCs, Methane have increased 20-30% since pre-industrial era

5. The Energy generating plants contributes mostly to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. • CO2 concentration increased from 280 ppm to 390 ppm in the present • Average global temperature increase by 1.5-5 degree.

6. Coping with Global Warming Earth Interactions Greenhouse Gases Air interaction CAUSE EFFECT Global Warming Mitigation Strategy Climate Change Impacts -Adaptation Renewable sources Energy Efficiency Clean Coal Technology CCS Crop Productivity Frequent Disasters Water Scarcity Vector borne diseases

7. The World’s Energy Resources Are Limited! COAL - 100 YRS. OIL - 30 YEARS Biodiesel- ??? GAS - 30 YRS thorium - ???? Human Beings ???

8. High Growth rate Minimal resource requirement High Photosynthetic efficiency Up to 70% of algae biomass is usable oils does not compete for land and space with other agricultural crops can survive in water of high salt content Why Micro-algae?

9. Algae Growing Methods : • What is needed • Sunlight • CO2 • Nutrients • Storage of Energy • Lipids and oils • Carbohydrates Other Dependent parameters: Temperature , pH (Physical factors) Pathogen ,predation, competition (Biotic factors)

10. Algae Species and Typical oil content

11. Algae Open Pond

12. Algae Photo bioreactor

13. Algae cultivation

14. Open Pond & Photo Bioreactor

15. Cleaned Gases Overview of micro-algae technology for carbon sequestration and bio-diesel production “Used” Algae have Multiple Potential Uses Algal Biotechnology Converts Flue Gases & Sunlight into Biofuels through Photosynthesis Sunlight Co-Firing Green Power Power Plant / Energy Source Photo bioreactor Biodiesel Esterification Flue Gases Ethanol Fermentation Protein Meal Drying NOx + CO2 from combustion flue gas emissions Algal Biotechnology

16. Closed Cycle Biomass Carbon Management Fuel Carbon (100%) Flue Carbon (100 %) Clean Gases Night Time Carbon Emissions (50%) Day Time Carbon Emissions (50%) Open Cycle Carbon Fuel Carbon (60%) Algae Biomass as Fuel Source (40% Fuel Carbon) Closed Cycle Carbon Management

17. Algae growth and harvesting process

18. INITIAL PLAN OF WORK Laboratory Phase: Techniques presently in use will be tested & optimized in laboratory, and most feasible techniques will be identified for the available conditions Testing Phase: Techniques identified in the lab will be scaled up to the semi-pilot scales,  exposed to environmental conditions present and Improvements will be made as required Utilisation Phase: The process identified will be used to produce Bio-Diesel

19. Open pond for algae cultivation Spectrophotometer Magnetic Stirrer pH Measurement device

20. Algae Strains Laminar Flow chamber Algae Strains Gas chromatography

21. Limits to productivity of Microalgae • Physical factors such as light (quality and quantity), temperature, nutrient, pH, O2 and CO2 • Biotic factors including pathogens, predation and competition by other algae, and • Operational factors such as: shear produced by mixing, dilution rate, depth and harvest frequency

22. Physical factors • Climate • Cold weather reduces algae oil production • Optimum temperature: 25-29 0C • Nutrients • Nitrogen & phosphorus: 0.8% and 0.6% of volume of pond • Light • High pressure sodium & Metal halide lamp • CO2 • Optimum supply of CO2 during day time

23. Algae harvesting • Microfiltration • Centrifugation • Flocculation • Sonochemical • Solvent Extraction and others.

24. Table. Theoretical estimation of biodiesel from algae

25. Small scale production of biodiesel • Combine 4 g NaOH (Lye) with 250 ml CH3OH (Methanol) to form CH3O- (Methoxide). • Mix until NaOH is completely dissolved in CH3OH (approx.1 min). • Combine CH3O- with warm (60˚C) oil. • Thoroughly agitate (roughly 5-10 min) • Allow resulting mixture to settle into layers (roughly 8 hours until fully settled)

26. Algae Biodiesel Carbon Credits 1L of diesel = 2.67 Kg of CO2 Ref: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05001.htm 1L of diesel = 2.67 Kg of CO2 Ref: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05001.htm 1L of Biodiesel = 0.58 Kg of CO2 Ref: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05001.htm 1L of Biodiesel will save 2.09 Kg of CO2 Biodiesel reduces net emissions of CO2 by 78.45% Ref:NREL/SR-580-24089 UC Category 1503 100 Mega L of Biodiesel will save 209 Kt of CO2

27. Summary • Micro-algae biodiesel is a newly-emerging field • Algae is a very efficient means of producing biodiesel and oil production from algae farms is feasible and scalable • By coupling algae production with a CO2 pollution control process, the economic viability of micro algal based biodiesel is significantly improved • Genetic Engineering and advancement in the design of bioreactor can improve the productivity of micro-algae • Further research necessary for economic production of biodiesel from algae.

28. THE END

29. A N Y Q U E S T I O N S ?