G0800102 The outdoor demonstration of micro-algae cultivation for bio-fuel production using photo bioreactors

Abstract

The tri-generation system with a diesel engine of heat, electric, and CO_2 has several advantages, including high energy efficiency and reduction of GHG emission by production on green fuel derived from biomass stored CO_2 from engine exhaust. In previous study, we revealed that the aeration of enriched CO_2 is effective to increase algal cell density and algal-oil production in lab experiments. In this study, we demonstrate mass production of algae-oil at enriched CO_2 aeration in cultivation in outdoors experiments. In experiment, the microalgae, Scenedesmus dimorphus, was cultivated in photo bioreactors in greenhouse and two cases of enriched CO_2 aeration; one is a concentration of 10%-CO_2 for 1.5 hours per day and another is 2%-CO_2 for 7.5 hours. And, the influence of starvation state by addition of NaCl on oil production was also investigated. The results show that the aeration of enriched CC_2 for 7.5 hours per day is effective to increase algal cell density. And, the oil content in algae is increased by the starvation stress due to addition of NaCl.