Algal biofuels from wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds

2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 660-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Craggs ◽  
S. Heubeck ◽  
T. J. Lundquist ◽  
J. R. Benemann
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Algal Production ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds

This paper examines the potential of algae biofuel production in conjunction with wastewater treatment. Current technology for algal wastewater treatment uses facultative ponds, however, these ponds have low productivity (∼10 tonnes/ha.y), are not amenable to cultivating single algal species, require chemical flocculation or other expensive processes for algal harvest, and do not provide consistent nutrient removal. Shallow, paddlewheel-mixed high rate algal ponds (HRAPs) have much higher productivities (∼30 tonnes/ha.y) and promote bioflocculation settling which may provide low-cost algal harvest. Moreover, HRAP algae are carbon-limited and daytime addition of CO2 has, under suitable climatic conditions, the potential to double production (to ∼60 tonnes/ha.y), improve bioflocculation algal harvest, and enhance wastewater nutrient removal. Algae biofuels (e.g. biogas, ethanol, biodiesel and crude bio-oil), could be produced from the algae harvested from wastewater HRAPs, The wastewater treatment function would cover the capital and operation costs of algal production, with biofuel and recovered nutrient fertilizer being by-products. Greenhouse gas abatement results from both the production of the biofuels and the savings in energy consumption compared to electromechanical treatment processes. However, to achieve these benefits, further research is required, particularly the large-scale demonstration of wastewater treatment HRAP algal production and harvest.

Wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds (WWT HRAP) for low-cost biofuel production

2015 ◽  
Vol 184 ◽  
pp. 202-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Mehrabadi ◽  
Rupert Craggs ◽  
Mohammed M. Farid
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
High Rate ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds

Enhancing microalgal photosynthesis and productivity in wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds for biofuel production

2015 ◽  
Vol 184 ◽  
pp. 222-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna L. Sutherland ◽  
Clive Howard-Williams ◽  
Matthew H. Turnbull ◽  
Paul A. Broady ◽  
Rupert J. Craggs
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
High Rate ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds

scholarly journals Microalgae: A Renewable Source for Wastewater Treatment and Feedstock Supply for Biofuel Generation

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 7431-7444
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
High Rate ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds ◽  
Biomass Processing

The search and exploitation of renewable clean energy sources have become crucial, because of the developing day by day interest for clean water and energy affected by the improvement of the economy, population, industrialization, urbanization, insufficient energy, climate abnormalities, and environmental pollution. The major cause of emissions of harmful gases into the environment is due to the high utilization of petroleum derivatives. In this way, it is paramount to explore environmentally sustainable energy sources for feasible advancement, to satisfy these expanding energy demands and to secure the environment. To mitigate these global problems, academic, industrial, and governmental sectors have engaged in a lot of brainstorming and research to surmount these difficulties, which have brought a steady flow of new information in the area of cultivation of microalgae in innovative technologies including photobioreactors and high rate algal ponds. In this respect, biomass generation from aquatic plants in enriched aquatic environments like wastewater has received considerable. Therefore, this review article provides comprehensive information on recent accounts on applications of microalgae in wastewater treatment using different technologies and their potentials in feedstock generation for biofuels applications. However, in the course of this study, high rate algal ponds (HRAP) and photobioreactors were found to be a reliable system for the cultivation of microalgae and wastewater treatment. Hence, the two-step method of dewatering methods is found to be the most effective approach for microalgae cultivation for wastewater treatment and generation of algal-based feedstock, taking into account high yield potentials and economic factors such as cost of operation and energy required for large scale algal biomass processing for biofuel generations.

Using wastewater and high-rate algal ponds for nutrient removal and the production of bioenergy and biofuels

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 915-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Batten ◽  
Tom Beer ◽  
George Freischmidt ◽  
Tim Grant ◽  
Kurt Liffman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Recent Change ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Algae Biomass

This paper projects a positive outcome for large-scale algal biofuel and energy production when wastewater treatment is the primary goal. Such a view arises partly from a recent change in emphasis in wastewater treatment technology, from simply oxidising the organic matter in the waste (i.e. removing the biological oxygen demand) to removing the nutrients – specifically nitrogen and phosphorus – which are the root cause of eutrophication of inland waterways and coastal zones. A growing need for nutrient removal greatly improves the prospects for using new algal ponds in wastewater treatment, since microalgae are particularly efficient in capturing and removing such nutrients. Using a spreadsheet model, four scenarios combining algae biomass production with the making of biodiesel, biogas and other products were assessed for two of Australia’s largest wastewater treatment plants. The results showed that super critical water reactors and anaerobic digesters could be attractive pathway options, the latter providing significant savings in greenhouse gas emissions. Combining anaerobic digestion with oil extraction and the internal economies derived from cheap land and recycling of water and nutrients on-site could allow algal oil to be produced for less than US$1 per litre.

scholarly journals Production of Methane From Microalgae Biofilms Growing in Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Canary Islands

2017 ◽  
pp. 904-917
Author(s):  
Giovana O. Fistarol ◽  
Mario Rosato ◽  
Nerieida M. R. Rodríguez ◽  
Mauela A. Bastidas ◽  
Paulo Sérgio Salomon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Methanogenic Bacteria ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Gran Canaria

Two recurrent topics among the scientific community are the use of microalgae in wastewater treatment plants as a biological agent for nutrient removal, and, more recently, the use of microalgae for biofuel production. In this study we have analysed the possibility of coupling these two processes, using microalgae that naturally form biofilms on wastewater treatment tanks to produce methane. The proposal is to develop a low cost, environmental friendly methodology, with the economical and environmental advantages of enhancing the removal of nutrients from wastewater, and producing sustainable biofuel. A methane assay using microalgae biofilms from the primary and secondary treatment tanks from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on the Canary Islands (EDAR-del Sureste, Gran Canaria, Spain) showed that, when this substrate is added to a suitable methanogenic bacteria, in this case marine sludge from a fish farm, it gives a methane yield of 0.104 Nm3 kg-1 VS. We also checked the in situ biomass yield of the biofilm (3.16 g AFDW m-2 d-1 and 7.71 g AFDW m-2 d-1, for the primary tank and secondary tank respectively), and the growth of this biofilms in photobioreactors (PBR). When grown in PBR, the algae composition of biofilm from the primary tank becomes dominate by a unicellular chlorophyta and produces 0.24 kg AFDW m- 3 d-1 of biomass; while biofilm from the secondary tank becomes dominated by the filamentous chlorophyta Stigeoclonium, and has a biomass yield of 0.48 kg AFDW m-3 d-1. The biofilms growing the WWTP of the EDAR del Sureste, in Gran Canaria, are a free naturally available source of biomass, and we have shown in this study that this biofilm, besides being used as a natural agent for nutrient removal in a WWTP, it has also the potentialof being used as a low cost, green source of biomass for methane production.

Swine wastewater treatment in high rate algal ponds: Effects of Cu and Zn on nutrient removal, productivity and biomass composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 299 ◽  
pp. 113668
Author(s):  
Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira ◽  
Paula Assemany ◽  
José Ivo Ribeiro Júnior ◽  
Lidiane Covell ◽  
Adriano Nunes-Nesi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Swine Wastewater ◽  
Biomass Composition ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds ◽  
Cu And Zn

High-Rate Algae Ponds for Wastewater Treatment and Protein Production

1982 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 439-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Shelef
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Protein Production ◽  
Chemical Separation ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
High Rate ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Dry Biomass ◽  
Suspended Biomass

High-rate algal ponds (HRAP) under proper climatic conditions can produce annually over 150 tonnes of dry biomass per hectare of which 60 percent is photoautotrophic algae. This result in production of approximately 150 ton/ha-yr of oxygen, in addition 15 ton/ha-yr of nitrogen and 3 ton/ha-hr of phosphorus are removed by incorporation into the biomass which contain between 45 to 50 percent proteins. High quality effluent is produced following physico-chemical separation of the suspended biomass by alum flocculation and flotation.

Wastewater treatment and algal production in high rate algal ponds with carbon dioxide addition

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. K. Park ◽  
R. J. Craggs
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Bacterial Biomass ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Algae Biomass ◽  
Algal Production ◽  
High Rate Algal Ponds ◽  
Gravity Settling ◽  
Algal Productivity ◽  
Co2 Addition

High rate algal ponds (HRAPs) provide improved wastewater treatment over conventional wastewater stabilisation ponds; however, algal production and recovery of wastewater nutrients as algal biomass is limited by the low carbon:nitrogen ratio of wastewater. This paper investigates the influence of CO2 addition (to augment daytime carbon availability) on wastewater treatment performance and algal production of two pilot-scale HRAPs operated with different hydraulic retention times (4 and 8 days) over a New Zealand Summer (November–March, 07/08). Weekly measurements were made of influent and effluent flow rate and water qualities, algal and bacterial biomass production, and the percentage of algae biomass harvested in gravity settling units. This research shows that the wastewater treatment HRAPs with CO2 addition achieved a mean algal productivity of 16.7 g/m2/d for the HRAP4d (4 d HRT, maximum algae productivity of 24.7 g/m2/d measured in January 08) and 9.0 g/m2/d for the HRAP8d (8 d HRT)). Algae biomass produced in the HRAPs was efficiently harvested by simple gravity settling units (mean harvested algal productivity: 11.5 g/m2/d for the HRAP4d and 7.5 g/m2/d for the HRAP8d respectively). Higher bacterial composition and the larger size of algal/bacterial flocs of the HRAP8d biomass increased harvestability (83%) compared to that of HRAP4d biomass (69%).

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