SBIR Phase I: Advanced Techniques for Microalgae Production, Harvest, and Conversion to Biodiesel

这个小型企业创新研究项目开发了培养微藻作为生物质来源的新技术，用于生产生物柴油。世界范围内迫切需要新的可再生能源，以减少我们对日益减少的化石燃料供应的依赖。以植物生物质为原料生产生物柴油具有很大的潜力。微藻是最高效的植物，可以产生用于生物柴油的油，每英亩潜在的年产量为5000-10000加仑，比大豆或油菜籽作物高出100倍。然而，缺乏大规模和经济有效的方法来培养和收获微藻(并提取它们所含的油)。该项目涉及使用受控富营养化过程(CEP)的研究，这是一种创新的多阶段微藻培养系统，在由大型高效桨轮循环的高速率藻类池塘中产生密集的单细胞藻类。CEP概念将被用来开发具有成本效益的微藻-生物柴油生产工艺，该工艺可以利用农业废水和未得到充分利用的咸水作为高速藻类生产池塘的供水。CEP生物柴油生产过程产生的其他好处包括废水处理和淡水回收、营养循环、温室气体减排以及生物肥料、饲料补充剂和电力的联合生产。这些有价值的副产品的销售将有助于抵消生物柴油的成本，并提高这种环保生物能源的竞争力。开发利用微藻生产生物燃料的高效技术的总体影响将对帮助美国经济成功过渡到可再生能源具有巨大价值，并对整个世界产生巨大的积极环境影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research Project develops new technologies to culture microalgae as a source of biomass for use in the production of biodiesel fuel. There is a critical worldwide need for new, renewable sources of energy to reduce our dependence on the dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. Biodiesel produced from plant biomass offers very high potential. Microalgae are the most efficient plants that can produce oil for biodiesel, with potential annual yields of 5,000-10,000 gallons of oil per acre, 100 times higher than soybean or rapeseed oil crops. However, large-scale and cost-effective methods to culture and harvest microalgae (and extract the oils they contain) are lacking. This project involves research using the Controlled Eutrophication Process (CEP), an innovative, multi-stage microalgae cultivation system that produces dense populations of single-celled algae in high-rate algal ponds circulated by large, efficient paddlewheels. The CEP concept will be adapted to develop cost-effective microalgae-biodiesel production processes that can utilize both agricultural wastewater and underutilized saline water as supply water for high-rate algal production ponds. Additional benefits derived from the CEP biodiesel production process include wastewater treatment with freshwater recovery, nutrient recycling, greenhouse gas abatement and co-production of biofertilizers, feed supplements, and electricity. Sales of these valuable byproducts will help to offset the biodiesel cost and improve the competitiveness of this environmentally-friendly bioenergy resource. The overall impact of the development of efficient techniques for using microalgae to produce biofuels will be of immense value in assisting the U.S. economy in a successful transition to renewable energy and have an immense positive environmental impact on the world as a whole.