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UT OpenAlgae Oil Recovery Frank Seibert UT/Separations Research Program Presented to CHE 359 Energy Technology and Policy November 17, 2011
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Process Technologies Heterotrophic Algae Solution Ferment recover oil & biomass lyse Photosynthetic Algae Solution Grow recover oil & biomass harvest/ concentrate lyse
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OpenAlgae and The University of Texas Algae Program grow algae 4-stage scale-up to raceway ponds strain selection -- over 3,000 strains readily available through UTEX species-customized to maximize lipid or protein content daily analyses of lipid and protein content harvest/ concentrate multiple concentration methods under exploration pH adjustment proprietary resin technology proprietary electrowicking process test and measure identify and quantify the types of lipids present in algae follow the abundance of lipids in algae through growth, harvest, lysis and extraction determine the composition of the final oil Mass Spec HPLCNMRTLC mobile platform Mobile & skid-mounted trans-portable units pilot or production scale unit will harvest, lyse, and extract oils from algae biomass remains untainted by solvents and can be sold for downstream applications recover oil and biomass patented membrane technology extracts oils without exposing the algae to solvents lyse patented technology opens cells and exposes lipid droplets via electromechanical forces solvent-less system maintains the integrity of the algal biomass works on fresh, brackish, and marine algae extremely cost efficient UT OpenAlgae Technologies
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Challenges Micron-size algae Very small density difference Negatively charged Dilute concentrations High volumes Considerations Algae species (mix) Water composition - Brackish/fresh - Conductivity, pH, ionic composition Paste or pumpable product Byproducts multiple concentration methods under exploration pH adjustment proprietary resin technology proprietary electrowicking process harvest/ concentrate Algae harvesting
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Electromechanical lysing Lysis is a continuous process for wet algae and is species–neutral – lysis opens the cells and exposes lipid droplets via electromechanical forces lyse patented technology opens cells and exposes lipid droplets via electromechanical forces solvent-less system maintains the integrity of the algal biomass works on fresh, brackish, and marine algae extremely cost efficient Post-Lysis Prior to Lysis
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Lysing capabilities Tunable, custom pulsing to rupture cells Works with mono- and poly-cultures Continuous flow, scalable throughput Operating cost <$0.01 per gallon of concentrated cells lysed Power use varies with conductivity of media
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Algae Oil Recovery Process Options The Problem New Algae Oil Recovery Technique
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Oil Recovery Focus Cost Effective Liquid Fuel (Priority) - Recovery of non-polar hydrocarbon - No Phospholipids Simple Process No Contamination of Biomass Effluent
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Lipids TEM provided by Colin Beal, Dr. Dwight Romanovicz and Christopher Mayer
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“Dry Process” Separate Water and Algae Feed: Concentrated Algae Slurry Water Algae Paste or Powder Solvent Lysing and Oil Recovery Separate algae and solvent (and water) Separate oil and solvent Lysing and Oil Recovery Separate oil and solvent Separate water and algae Solvent “Wet Process”
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Lysing and Extraction Oil Separate water and algae “ Solventless Process” Concentrated Algae Slurry
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Oil Recovery Problem Efficient cell destruction required Submicron nonpolar lipid drops Surface active chemicals released Presence of cell debris Large fraction of algae oil is non-polar and may not be desirable for fuel - Phospholipids will poison downstream catalyst Preservation of biomass for animal feed
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Dispersive Contactor Technologies Centrifuge Trayed Enhanced Trayed All dispersive techniques using solvents Problems with emulsions Liquid-Liquid Extraction Lysed Algae Concentrate Solvent Extract Raffinate
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14 MHF Membrane Contactor Lysed Algae Feed With Oil Oil Algae Raffinate Oil Microporous Hollow-Fiber Membrane
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Hollow Fiber Dimensions 16 Dimensions in mm 0.1 mm = 100 microns
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Microporous Hollow Fiber Contactor Provisional process patent application filed US61/295,607 Non-provisional patent filed in January 2011 Supported with pilot data Proposed mechanism – coalescence No signs of fouling/One module in operation for 12 months Size of hydrophillic micro-organism < 30 microns
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Typical MHF Extractor Performance with Actual Algae Oil Extraction Using Heptane
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Solventless Test-Initial Results Tube side = canola oil Shell side = 2 wt% solids previously lysed and extracted algae Re-circulating flows Tube-side flow = 10-15 lbs/hr Shell-side flow = 500 lbs/hr Oil injection rate into shell-side slurry = 3 ml/min (4% oil in solids) Run time = 72 hours (4-5 shutdowns to monitor oil accumulation) Recovery of injected canola oil = 93%
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Membrane Skid
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Current Solventless Tests Tube side = Isopar V Shell side = water with and without algae solids Re-circulating flows Tube side flow = 0-10 lbs/hr Shell-side flow = 500 lbs/hr Oil injection rate into slurry = 1.5 - 3 ml/min (~5% oil in solids) Run time = 120 - 168 hours (daily shutdown to monitor oil accumulation) Steady State Oil Recoveries > 94%
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Oil Concentration in Water = 0.5 g oil/L (No Solids) Large Module Oil Recovery Using Solventless Process
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Oil Recovery from Water Water Flowrate (large module) = 500 lb/hr Water Flowrate (small module) = 250 lb/hr Oil Recirculation Rate = 0
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Oil Recovery in the Presence of Algae Solids Oil Concentration in Water = 0.5 g oil/L (1% Solids) Large Module
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Portable 5 GPM Algae Processing System Algae Concentration Lysing Oil Recovery
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OpenAlgae Mobile Algae Processing
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Lysing chamber & power supply Concentration skid Oil Recovery skid OpenAlgae Mobile Algae Processing
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Energy Return on Investment for Algal Biofuel Biofuel Production Colin Beal, PhD Dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, 2011
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The Energy Return on Investment is a useful metric to evaluate energy sources EROI: 1)Crude Oil (2000) – 20 2)Coal (2000) – 80 3)Wind Energy (2009) – 20 4)Sugar Cane Ethanol (2005) – 9 5)Corn Ethanol (2007) – 1 6)Algal Biofuels - ? Cleveland C.J., 2005. Kubiszewski et al., 2009 Macedo et al., 2008 Energy System Energy and Material Inputs Energy Output
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Algal Culture Harvested Algae Useful Energy Outputs Direct and Indirect Energy Inputs (Beal PhD Study) Lysed Algae Post-Extraction Algae and Lipids Water CO 2 Electricity Nutrients Electricity Solvent Algae Inoculants Biocrude Biomass Slurry Electricity System Boundary Salt Antibiotics Forklift Propane Bio-oil Refining Inputs Biomass Fuel From Beal et al., “Energy Return on Investment…”, BioEnergy Research, In Review.
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Energy Return on Investment “Highly Productive Case” Process % of Energy Required, Growth 89% (CO2) (79%) Concentration 10.5% Lysing 0.25% Separations (with Dist) 0.25% Total Energy ~ 75 KJ/L pond water Algae Growth Rate = 16 g/m2-day Lipid Fraction = 0.3 g/g Energy Recovered = 16.6 KJ/L EROI = 16.6/75 = 0.22 Reference: Beal, C., PhD Dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, 2011
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1) Use waste forms of nitrogen and phosphorus or recover for recycle 2)Use flue-gas from industrial plants or atmospheric CO 2 3)Develop ultra-productive algal strains (GMO) 4)Minimize pumping 5)Establish energy-efficient water treatment and recycling 6)Employ less energy-intensive harvesting methods Needs to Improve the Feasibility of Algal Biofuels: Reference: Beal, PhD Dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, 2011.
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Summary UT OpenAlgae has developed downstream solventless oil recovery process Greater than 90% oil recovery in controlled oil injection studies Need field testing Requires efficient lysing for microorganisms that do not secrete oil Not effective for flocculated microorganisms Recovery mechanism – coalescence Algae processing is limited in the growth step
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Acknowledgements OpenAlgae Separations Research Program Katie O’Brien Stacy Truscott
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