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Parameterising and developing models for the use of microalgae as a feedstock for biofuels and valuable chemicals production. / Jiyuan Sui

Swansea University Author: Jiyuan Sui

Abstract

"With the development of photobioreactor technology, microalgal culture has been proposed for various purposes in the past decades. However, primarily due to the low productivity, challenge remains to scale up from laboratory studies to mass cultivation. The increasing interest of using microal...

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Published: 2013
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42610
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Abstract: "With the development of photobioreactor technology, microalgal culture has been proposed for various purposes in the past decades. However, primarily due to the low productivity, challenge remains to scale up from laboratory studies to mass cultivation. The increasing interest of using microalgae for biodiesel production has put this challenge back on the priority list. In this investigation, fatty acid composition of Nannochloropsis oculata (Droop) (CCAP 849/1) in relation to elemental stoichiometry has been studied and used to inform the development of algal growth models. Through tuning C;N and Chl:C ratios, a model description can be made regulating total fatty acid content and polyunsaturated fatty acid content respectively. This quota-based model also mechanistically describes the dynamics of nutrient (nitrate and phosphate) uptake and depth integrated photosynthesis with growth. When used in a generic descriptive mode, with a bulk description of energy reserve (excess-C), the model was used to evaluate the potential biomass and biofuels production and used to explore the options of optimization of biomass and biofuel productivity from a "typical" microalga under various operational scenarios in a bioreactor. Data from experiments using Nannochloropsis oculata (Droop) (CCAP 849/1) were used to parameterize this bioreactor model. The model fits the data in general terms except for phosphate uptake, probably due to the phosphate precipitation in seawater. While the development of a fully functional model of microalgae growth capable of describing biochemical stoichiometry is still in its infancy. The work described here indicates the potential value and scope of developing the functional model of microalgae growth for biofuels and valuable chemicals production."
Keywords: Chemical engineering.;Bioengineering.;Alternative Energy.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering

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