Download pdf - Large Scale Production of Microalgae for BiofuelsLarge Scale Production of Microalgae for Biofuels. Dr. Bryan Willson. Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer. Solix Biofuels. June 28,

Large Scale Production of Microalgae for Biofuels

Dr. Bryan WillsonCo-Founder & Chief Technology Officer

Solix BiofuelsJune 28, 2009

About Solix Biofuels• Solix is the leading developer of production systems for algae-based biofuels – with a background in fuels and a focus on low-cost, high productivity production technology

• Solix’s cost trajectory shows that fuel production from algae can be cost-competitive with petroleum – but requires full value extraction from the production co-products

• Solix will soon demonstrate the world’s largest closed photobioreactor for biofuelproduction.

3 Points:

2

OutlineSolix / Algae IntroOpen Pond OverviewClosed Photobioreactor OverviewSolix AGS SystemHarvesting & ExtractionScaleupProduction CostsConclusions

Solix / Algae Intro

About Solix Biofuels• Focused on the development and commercialization of large-scale algae-to-biofuels systems

• Launched in March, 2006• Located in Fort Collins, Colorado• Privately funded• 50+ employees: 40 full-time

+ 15 FTE from students / faculty• Headquartered at CSU Engines &

Energy Conversion Laboratory• Solix facilities

• 6,000 ft2 office space, 18,000 ft2 lab / fab space• Outdoor R&D facility in Fort Collins• Scaleup facility being constructed in SW Colorado

• Significant strategic partners in industry, science and engineering

About Solix

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BIOMASS:Carbs

ProteinLipids

7

Basic Photosynthesis

Processing

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7

01,0002,0003,0004,0005,0006,0007,0008,000

Soy Canola Corn (ETOH)

Palm Algae

Ga

llo

ns

/Acre

/Yea

r

Land & Water Efficiency

Annual Production• Soybean: 40 to 50 gal/acre• Rapeseed: 110-145 gal/acre• Mustard: 140 gal/acre• Jatropha: 175 gal/acre• Palm oil: 650 gal/acre• Algae est.: 5,000-10,000 gal/acre

7,000 “nominal”

Ya gotta dream. . .

"We expect to produce 100,000 gallons (of vegetable oil) per acre per year," which is a much higher yield than soybeans and other plants being used for biofuel…”

But you also gotta obey the laws of physics. . .

Realism

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(1) Schenk, 2008(2) Chisti, 2007(3) NREL ASP, Sheehan et al., 1998

(4) Schenk, 2008(5) Chisti, 2007(6) Report on CNN, Apr 4, 2008

Wide range of projections…

What is the ultimate upper limit?

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

L∙ac

-1∙y

r-1

gal∙a

c-1∙y

r-1

Algae Oil Projections

Motivation

Energy STORED as oil

Inherent photosynthetic loss

Light transmission loss

Reduced photon absorption

Cellular energy use

Non-oil biomass

Non-PAR solar energy

Method

Practical Maximum Range: 4,900 – 6,500 gal∙acre-1∙yr-1

Practical Case: Results

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0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)L∙

ac-1

∙yr-1

gal∙a

c-1∙y

r-1

Algae Oil Projections

Ultimate theoretical maximum: 53,000 gal∙acre-1∙yr-1

Practical Range: 4,900 – 6,500 gal∙acre-1∙yr-1

Conclusions

Solix Focus Area

Upstream Biology R&D

SpeciesSelection

AlgalGrowth System

Harvesting Technology

ExtractionTechnologies

BiocrudeRefining

BiodieselDistribution

s s e e So c eate, de e a d captu e a ue t e b o ue s ue s a et space by

e ect e y dep oy g o t e s e tec o og es a d g tec o ogy gaps t e de e y o e c e t

g o t a d a est g syste s

Solix must effectively partner with key strategic companies that provide the other

elements in the overall value chain to deliver value to the market.

Flue GasSpeciationTechnology

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Open Pond Overview

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Open Pond Cultivation:Dunaliella, Eilat, Israel

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16 16

Open Pond Production: EarthriseSpirulina. California

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Open Pond Production: SeambioticNanno. Ashkelon, Israel

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Advantages• Lowest capital cost• Only technology demonstrated

at large scale – to date• Can maintain specific cultures

of extremophilesDisadvantages• Allows contamination of

specific culturewith local species / strains

• Potential for loss / migration of GMO • Susceptible to weather • Water loss from evaporation / percolation

Open Pond Attributes


Closed Photobioreactor Overview

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Direct Light PBRs:GreenFuels, 1st Gen

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Direct Light PBRs:AlgaeLink / Bioking

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Direct Light PBRs:Solix, Gen1 (1st Generation)

Photosynthetic Efficiency

Irradiance, Ed(arbitrary units)

Effic

ienc

y, ≈

P/E d

~15%-20% of full sun

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Impact of Light Intensity

10%

40%

70%

100%

Note: 10X increase in light, but only 3.5X increase in output. Implies a 3X reduction in photosynthetic efficiency.

Conversely, if diffuse light can be used over extended surface area, 3X increase in output possible.

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Extended Area PBRs

Glass Plate Photobioreactor(Pulz, Richmond, others)

Glass Tube Photobioreactor(Pulz, IGV, Ketura, Torzillo, others) 25

26 26

Utilizes diffuse light, short photic distances (approaches ideal cycle time of 20 ms) for high photosynthetic efficiency

≈5 m2 illuminated area for 1 m2 of ground area

IGV Diffuse PBR

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Pumped Tubewall PBR: IGV Haematococcus Pluvialis

28 28

High-Growth Phase Stress Phase

Pumped Tubewall PBR: AlgaTechHaematococcus Pluvialis

29 29

Advantages• Allow growth of specific cultures• Allows environmental control• Potential for much higher growth rates (with

extended surface area and/or high turbulence)Disadvantages• Potential for high capital cost• Potential for high energy costs• Low-cost production has not been demonstrated

Closed PBR Attributes


Solix AGS System

Direct Light PBR:Low Cost & Productivity

Diffuse PBR:High Cost & Productivity

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Cost vs. Productivity

Solix G2 – May ‘07

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Photo-bioreactor (G3)

Solix G3 Technology:• Extended surface area• Water supported• Integrated CO2 / air sparging• G4 – membrane exchange in development

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Solix G3 (cont)

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Colorado – Algae Paradise?

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Solix G4

Solix G4a Technology:• Membrane CO2 delivery• Membrane O2 removal, internal• Reduced thickness / higher density

Solix G4b Technology:• Membrane CO2 delivery• Membrane O2 removal, external• Reduced thickness / higher density

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Potential Open-Water Application

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Offshore Production?Denmark Workshop, Apr 20-22

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Harvesting & Extraction

Extraction

47

Extraction

48

Extraction

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Automation & Controls• Automates

conditions for optimal productivity of different organisms in different climates

• Gives predictive and diagnostic capabilities

Model-Based Control

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Biology

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Fuel Properties - General

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Fuel Properties - General

• Algal oil is unique in that it tends to contain a significant quantity (~5-20% by volume) of long highly unsaturated oils, which are rarely observed in more traditional biodiesel feedstocks, such as soy and rapeseed (canola) oil.

• The two most common types of long and highly unsaturated oils found in algae oil tested to date are eicosapentaeonic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

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Saturated Acids Mono Unsaturated

Acids

Total Poly Unsaturated

Acids10:0 12:0 14:0 16:0 18:0 >18:0 16:1 18:1 22:1 n:2 n:3 n:4-6

Coconut 7 47 15 8 2 6 2Palm 3 40 3 46Rapeseed 3 2 1 1 12 55 15 8Soybean 9 4 8 1 26 55 6Nannochloropsis Oculata

2 15 2 2 16 10 1 6 4 31

Nannochloropsis sp.

3 14 11 3 19 6 7 3 20

Fatty acid content varies widely depending on the feedstock. The chemical composition has implications in terms of combustion characteristics.

methyl dodecanoate (coconut) methyl linoleate (soy) eicosapentaeonic acid methyl ester (algae)

Feedstock Composition

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Composite Algal Oil

• Algal oil differs from soy and rapeseed in that many algae species under consideration produce up 20% of Omega-3 fatty acids.

• For engine tests, “synthetic” algae oil is created by mixing a variety of vegetable oils with pharmaceutical grade fish oil.

• Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is used as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids found in algal oil (e.g EPA and DHA)

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

12:0

14:0

14:1

15:0

16:0

16:1

17:0

17:1

18:0

18:1

18:2

18:3

G18

:320

:020

:120

:220

:320

:3 H

G20

:420

:522

:022

:122

:222

:422

:522

:623

:024

:024

:1un

know

n

Frac

tion

of C

ompo

sitio

n

Fatty Acid Molecule

Fish Oil Profile

EPA

DHA


Scaleup

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Scaling Up. . .

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400 feet

New Site:Southwest Colorado, Coyote Gulch

Coyote Gulch

OutlineSolix / Algae IntroOpen Pond OverviewClosed Photobioreactor OverviewSolix AGS SystemHarvesting & ExtractionScaleupProduction CostsConclusionsProduction Costs

Economic Overview

Solix “Economics”

Economics (Per Unit Area)

Yield

Biomass Growth

% Oil

Cost

Operating Expense

Capital Expense

Scale

Land

Capital

Engineering

62

System Analysis / Modeling

63

Technology Status

Technology Development Process

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OutlineSolix / Algae IntroOpen Pond OverviewClosed Photobioreactor OverviewSolix AGS SystemHarvesting & ExtractionScaleupProduction CostsConclusionsConclusions

• Economical biofuel production appears feasible, using low-cost high productivity photobioreactors

• Requires tight coupling of biology and engineering

• Value of co-products must be captured; may approach or exceed value of oil

• Systems modeling/integration required to achieve cost targets

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Conclusions

Contact InformationDr. Bryan Willson

Professor, Colorado State UniversityChief Technology Officer, Solix Biofuels

[email protected](970) 491-4783