title: Microalgae-based biodiesel: a multicriteria analysis of the production process using realistic scenarios.
abstract: Microalgae-based biodiesel has several benefits over other resources such as less land use, potential cultivation in non-fertile locations, faster growth and especially a high lipid-to-biodiesel yield. Nevertheless, the environmental and economic behavior for high scale production depends on several variables that must be addressed in the scale-up procedure. In this sense, rigorous modeling and multicriteria evaluation are performed in order to achieve optimal topology for third generation biodiesel production. Different scenarios and the most promising technologies tested at pilot scale are assessed. Besides, the sensitivity analysis allows the detection of key operating variables and assumptions that have a direct effect on the lipid content. The deviation of these variables may lead to an erroneous estimation of the scale-up performance of the technology reviewed in the microalgae-based biodiesel process. The modeling and evaluation of different scenarios of the harvesting, oil extraction and transesterification help to identify greener and cheaper alternatives.
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
authors: Carmen M
authors: CM
authors: Torres
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007, Spain; Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Marcel·lí Domingo 2, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
authors: Sergio D
authors: SD
authors: Ríos
authors: Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Marcel·lí Domingo 2, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
authors: Carles
authors: C
authors: Torras
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007, Spain; Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Marcel·lí Domingo 2, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Salvadó
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
authors: Josep M
authors: JM
authors: Mateo-Sanz
authors: Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007, Spain. Electronic address: Laureano.Jimenez@urv.cat.
authors: Laureano
authors: L
authors: Jiménez
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels
keywords: Life cycle analysis; Microalgae-based biodiesel; Multicriteria optimization; Process modeling