Liquid Biofuels from Wet Algae Paste via Novel Two-Step Processes

通过新型两步工艺从湿藻糊中提取液体生物燃料

• 批准号: 1133439
• 负责人: Phillip Savage
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1133439&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Liquid; Biofuels; Wet; Algae; Paste

PI: Phillip E SavageProposal Number: 1133439Intellectual MeritPhotosynthetic microalgae have considerable promise as biological catalyst for the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into lipid-rich biomass which can serve as a feedstock for biodiesel production. A major barrier for converting microalgae to biodiesel on a large scale is the need to dry the algae and extract the oil components. The proposed research will develop the scientific and engineering knowledge to convert algal biomass directly to biodiesel in its natural wet state through a two step process without the need for drying or extraction. The first step is a mild hydrothermal carbonization treatment that hydrolyzes the intracellular lipids into fatty acids and coalesces them into easy-to-filter solids. The second step is biodiesel synthesis through noncatalytic and catalytic approaches, including the uncatalyzed esterification of the lipids in the wet hydrolysis solids with supercritical ethanol, or the metal-triflate-catalyzed esterification of the lipids in the wet hydrolysis solids with subcritical ethanol. The reaction pathways and kinetics of each step will be elucidated to assess how the process variables (temperature, concentrations, time, etc.) influence the biodiesel product yields.Broader ImpactsThe proposed activities are designed to provide educational opportunities for students within the context of the proposed research. Undergraduate students, particularly women and underrepresented minorities, will be recruited through the Marian Sarah Parker Scholars Program and Summer Research Opportunity Program at the University of Michigan to conduct research on algal biodiesel in collaboration with the PhD student who will be trained as part of this project. Renewable energy concepts will be incorporated into a sophomore level Sustainable Engineering course offered though the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.

光合微藻作为将二氧化碳（CO2）转化为富含脂质的生物质的生物催化剂，具有相当大的前景，可以作为生产生物柴油的原料。将微藻大规模转化为生物柴油的一个主要障碍是需要干燥藻类并提取油成分。拟议的研究将发展科学和工程知识，通过两步过程将藻类生物质直接转化为自然湿态的生物柴油，而不需要干燥或提取。第一步是温和的水热碳化处理，将细胞内的脂质水解成脂肪酸，并将它们合并成易于过滤的固体。第二步是通过非催化和催化方法合成生物柴油，包括湿水解固体中的脂质与超临界乙醇的非催化酯化反应，或金属三酸酯催化湿水解固体中的脂质与亚临界乙醇的酯化反应。每个步骤的反应途径和动力学将被阐明，以评估过程变量（温度、浓度、时间等）如何影响生物柴油产品的产量。更广泛的影响拟议的活动旨在为拟议研究范围内的学生提供教育机会。密歇根大学将通过玛丽安·萨拉·帕克学者项目和暑期研究机会项目招收本科生，特别是女性和少数族裔，与将作为该项目的一部分接受培训的博士生合作开展藻类生物柴油的研究。可再生能源概念将被纳入密歇根大学工程学院提供的二年级可持续工程课程。