PFI:AIR - TT: Passive membrane photobioreactor for cultivation and harvesting of algal biomass and sustainable nutrient management

PFI:AIR - TT：用于藻类生物量培养和收获以及可持续营养管理的被动膜光生物反应器

• 批准号: 1602087
• 负责人: Daniel Yeh
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: University of South Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-05-01 至 2020-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1602087&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; AIR; TT; Passive; membrane

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a passive floating membrane photobioreactor technology to fill the need for sustainable microalgae cultivation for biomass/biofuel while simultaneously removing nutrients from impaired waters such as wastewater. The ICARUS process (which stands for Isolated Cultivation of Algal Resources Utilizing Selectivity) is important because allows the simultaneous production of low-cost and sustainable algal-derived biofuel and bioproducts, while reducing environmental pollution from excess nutrient runoff and the associated costs of wastewater treatment. The project will result in a prototype system of ICARUS pods which are capable of cultivating and harvesting high-quality microalgae at a wastewater treatment facility. ICARUS has the following unique features: passivity, modularity, crop isolation and protection, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. These features provide the following advantages when compared to the leading competing algae cultivation and harvesting technologies in this market space: 1) ability to cultivate algae monocultures in a "dirty" environment like wastewater, while utilizing freely-available carbon, nutrients and water; 2) ability to grow multiple algal species separately but within the same feedstock tank; 3) enabling multiple simultaneous use of existing infrastructure at a wastewater treatment facility, thereby accelerating process intensification; 4) production of dense cultures which passively dewater, thereby greatly reducing the costs of harvesting and downstream processing.This project addresses the following technology gap(s) as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application: 1) geometric considerations for scaling up reactor volume; 2) strategy for linking multiple pods into an interconnected ICARUS system; 3) process control for a linked system; 4) large-volume algal growth kinetics and productivity; 5) long-term membrane performance. In addition, personnel involved in this project, including a post-doc, a PhD student, and two undergraduate students, will receive training on entrepreneurship, intellectual property and commercialization, digital 3D design, process scaling, algal biology, wastewater process design and modeling, and membrane science.The project engages Florida wastewater utilities and algae companies to develop a sustainable commercial product (algae biomass for bioproducts/biofuel), while simultaneously reducing the costs of wastewater treatment and helping utilities meet their regulatory goals.

这个PFI：空气技术转换项目的重点是转换被动浮膜光生物反应器技术，以满足可持续的微藻培养生物质/生物燃料的需求，同时从废水等受损的水域中去除营养物质。ICARUS工艺(代表利用选择性的藻类资源单独培养)很重要，因为它允许同时生产低成本和可持续的藻类衍生生物燃料和生物制品，同时减少过量营养径流造成的环境污染和废水处理的相关成本。该项目将产生ICARUS豆荚的原型系统，该系统能够在废水处理设施中培养和收获高质量的微藻。伊卡洛斯具有以下独特特征：被动性、模块化、作物隔离和保护以及与现有基础设施的兼容性。与这一市场领域领先的竞争性藻类培养和收获技术相比，这些特点提供了以下优势：1)能够在废水等“肮脏”的环境中培养藻类单一养殖，同时利用可自由获得的碳、营养物质和水；2)能够单独但在同一原料池中培养多种藻类；3)能够同时使用废水处理设施的现有基础设施，从而加速工艺强化；4)生产可以被动脱水的高密度培养物，从而大大降低收获和下游加工的成本。本项目在从研究发现转化为商业应用的过程中解决了以下技术差距(S)：1)扩大反应器体积的几何考虑；2)将多个吊舱连接到互连的ICARUS系统的策略；3)连接系统的过程控制；4)大容量藻类的生长动力学和生产率；5)长期的膜性能。此外，参与该项目的人员，包括一名博士后、一名博士生和两名本科生，将接受关于企业家精神、知识产权和商业化、数字3D设计、过程缩放、藻类生物学、废水过程设计和建模以及膜科学的培训。该项目与佛罗里达州的废水处理公司和藻类公司合作，开发可持续的商业产品(用于生物产品/生物燃料的藻类生物质)，同时降低废水处理的成本，帮助公用事业公司实现其监管目标。