title: Algal biofuels from urban wastewaters: maximizing biomass yield using nutrients recycled from hydrothermal processing of biomass.
abstract: Recent studies have proposed algal cultivation in urban wastewaters for the dual purpose of waste treatment and bioenergy production from the resulting biomass. This study proposes an enhancement to this approach that integrates cultivation of an acidophilic strain, Galdieria sulphuraria 5587.1, in a closed photobioreactor (PBR); hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of the wet algal biomass; and recirculation of the nutrient-rich aqueous product (AP) of HTL to the PBR to achieve higher biomass productivity than that could be achieved with raw wastewater. The premise is that recycling nutrients in the AP can maintain optimal C, N and P levels in the PBR to maximize biomass growth to increase energy returns. Growth studies on the test species validated growth on AP derived from HTL at temperatures from 180 to 300°C. Doubling N and P concentrations over normal levels in wastewater resulted in biomass productivity gains of 20-25% while N and P removal rates also doubled.
authors.affiliation: Civil Engineering Dept., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Selvaratnam
authors.affiliation: Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pegallapati
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Dept., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Civil Engineering Dept., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanapathipillai
authors.affiliation: Civil Engineering Dept., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nirmalakhandan
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Dept., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Energy Research Laboratory, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lammers
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058433:Photobioreactors; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000254:growth & development*; D013696:Temperature; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D009584:Nitrogen; D010758:Phosphorus; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Algal bioenergy; Galdieria sulphuraria; Hydrothermal liquefaction; Regrowth in recycled nutrients; Wastewater treatment