CLOSING THE CARBON LOOP: GROWING ALGAE USING SUSTAINABLE CO2 FROM BIO-WASTE
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to build a sustainable algaculture facility in the Appropriate Technology program at Appalachian State University. The system will be a pilot scalable system utilizing sustainable designs developed and promoted by the ASU Appropriate Technology program for over 20 years.
Description:
Record oil prices, poor air quality, and the threat of global warming have resulted in renewed interest in micro algae for its great potential as a biofuels feedstock. However, research is predominantly focused on growing algae with coal flue gas, and extracting the algae oils for transesterification into biodiesel. This method does not close the carbon loop, and the negative environmental and health implications of fossil fuel mining and extraction persist.
Record Details:
Record Type:PROJECT(
ABSTRACT
)
Start Date:08/15/2008
Completion Date:08/14/2009
Record ID:
200635
Keywords:
BIOGAS, BIO-BASED FEEDSTOCKS, ANAEROBIC REMEDIATION, RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS, WASTE TO VALUE, ENERGY RECOVERY, GLOBAL CLIMATE, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, WASTE REDUCTION, ATMOSPHERE, CLEANER PRODUCTION/POLLUTION PREVENTION, RENEWABLE FUELS, PETROLEUM, ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE, ALTERNATIVE TO PETROLEUM DIESEL FUEL, WASTE MINIMIZATION, SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN,
Related Organizations:
Role
:OWNER
Organization Name
:APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Citation
:Boone
State
:NC
Zip Code
:28608
Project Information:
Approach
:The research focus will be three-fold – (1) explore anaerobic digestion of bio-waste as a renewable CO2 source for algae growth, (2) collect and quantifying community bio-waste for anaerobic digestion, (3) and study and optimize algae cultivation. Innovative objectives of the project are to design and build a low cost algae photobioreactor with minimal energy inputs, utilize a passive solar green house (already built) with solar thermal technology for algae growth, incorporate an anaerobic digester for diverting bio-waste from the landfill to produce methane, and recover the CO2 by combusting the methane and diverting it to the algae. In addition we will distribute bio-bins to local restaurants and households to quantify the pounds of waste collected to sustain the system.
Cost
:$10,000.00
Research Component
:Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development
Approach
:The research focus will be three-fold – (1) explore anaerobic digestion of bio-waste as a renewable CO2 source for algae growth, (2) collect and quantifying community bio-waste for anaerobic digestion, (3) and study and optimize algae cultivation. Innovative objectives of the project are to design and build a low cost algae photobioreactor with minimal energy inputs, utilize a passive solar green house (already built) with solar thermal technology for algae growth, incorporate an anaerobic digester for diverting bio-waste from the landfill to produce methane, and recover the CO2 by combusting the methane and diverting it to the algae. In addition we will distribute bio-bins to local restaurants and households to quantify the pounds of waste collected to sustain the system.
Cost
:$10,000.00
Research Component
:P3 Challenge Area - Energy
Project IDs:
ID Code
:SU833931
Project type
:EPA Grant