Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genoa 16145, Italy.
Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genoa 16145, Italy.
Enzyme Microb Technol. 2024 Feb;173:110371. doi: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2023.110371. Epub 2023 Dec 5.
This study explores diverse cultivation modes for Chlorella vulgaris within a biorefinery at pilot scale that produces both biodiesel by transesterification of waste frying oils and syngas by gasification of organic wood waste. Given microalgae's comparatively modest biofuel yield relative to principal biorefinery products, the microalgae cultivation process is designed on the biofuels production rates. Liquid and gaseous waste streams are recycled inside the biorefinery: crude glycerol is mixed with wood to enhance the quality of syngas, wastewater is fed to microalgae so as flue gas. Also, the oil extracted from microalgae contributes to produce biodiesel and the waste cells are gasified. Considering that the optimal fit for each cultivation mode varies with the shape of the reactor, we propose a modular approach to assemble them in batteries of tubular, bubble flow, and airlift reactors, and present an operating design criterion that can fulfill the mass balance of the plant by adding/transforming the number of units inside the different batteries. Methods to adjust the operating conditions and control the operating parameters are also discussed. The designed configurations were operated recycling nominal waste streams of about 30 L d of wastewater and 90 Nm h of flue gas. Results confirm that the most advantageous one, in terms of volume per recycled waste streams, is a battery of 16 airlift reactors, operating in mixotrophic mode, with growing rate of 0.427 d, yield of 3.06, glycerol conversion 39 %, CO removal 64 % of inlet 6-10 %(mol) concentration. The same nominal waste streams can also be managed by 40 tubular reactors in almost heterotrophic conditions coupled with 12 bubble columns in autotrophic conditions; working respectively at growing rates of 0.395 d and 0.362 d and yields of 2.94 and 2.84. The battery of tubular reactors reached a glycerol conversion of 45 % and the array of bubble columns removed about 51 % of inlet 12-20 %(mol) CO concentration. A complete comparison is reported also in terms of dimensionless numbers and pumping/mixing requirements.
本研究探索了在中试规模的生物炼制厂中培养普通小球藻的多种培养模式,该生物炼制厂通过废煎炸油的酯交换反应生产生物柴油,通过有机木质废物的气化生产合成气。鉴于微藻相对于主要生物炼制厂产品的生物燃料产量相对较低,微藻的培养过程是基于生物燃料的生产速率设计的。生物炼制厂内部循环利用液体和气体废物:粗甘油与木材混合以提高合成气的质量,废水输送至微藻,废气输送至微藻。此外,从微藻中提取的油有助于生产生物柴油,而废细胞则被气化。鉴于每种培养模式的最佳适配性因反应器的形状而异,我们提出了一种模块化方法,将它们组装在管状、鼓泡流和空气提升式反应器电池中,并提出了一种操作设计标准,通过在不同电池中添加/转换单元的数量来满足工厂的质量平衡。还讨论了调整操作条件和控制操作参数的方法。设计的配置以循环使用约 30 L d 的废水和 90 Nm h 的废气的名义废物流进行了操作。结果证实,从每循环使用的废物流体积来看,最有利的模式是一个由 16 个空气提升式反应器组成的电池,以混合营养方式运行,生长速率为 0.427 d,产率为 3.06,甘油转化率为 39%,CO 去除率为 64%,入口浓度为 6-10%(mol)。同样的名义废物流也可以由 40 个几乎异养条件下的管状反应器和 12 个自养条件下的鼓泡柱来管理;分别以 0.395 d 和 0.362 d 的生长速率和 2.94 和 2.84 的产率运行。管状反应器电池的甘油转化率达到 45%,鼓泡柱阵列去除了约 51%的入口 12-20%(mol)CO 浓度。还报告了在无量纲数和泵送/混合要求方面的完整比较。