Production of biodiesel from algae

Definition

Generally bio diesels- a type of bio fuels which are renewable diesel fuel derived from various organic feedstocks including vegetable oils and animal fat

Bio diesel production from algae and microbes refers to the second generation bio fuels

Micro algae

These are small microscopic aquatic photosynthetic plants that require the aid of a microscope to be seen.

Evolution of micro algae

The first large-scale culture of microalgaestarted in the early 1960s in Japan byNihon Chlorella with the culture ofChlorella .

The interest in using microalgae forrenewable energy increased in 1970s

during the first oil crisis .

Cultivation of algaeMicroalgae are adapted to scavenge their

environments for resources, to storage them, or increase their efficiency in resource utilization.

In general for biomass growth (consisting of 40–50% carbon) microalgae depend on a sufficient supply of a carbon source and light to carry out photosynthesis.

Microalgae may assume many types of metabolisms (e.g. autotrophic, heterotrophic, mixotrophic, photoheterotrophic)

They are capable of a metabolic shift as a response to changes in the environmental conditions.

Processing of algae

Dewatering

Thickning

Filtering

Drying

Factors - cultivation

Temperature:Microalgae can easily tolerate temperatures up to

15 C lower than their optimal, but exceeding the optimum temperature by only 2–4 C may result in the total culture loss.

Salinity:Every alga has a different optimum salinity range

that can increase during hot weather conditions due to high evaporation.

Mixing :It homogenizes the cells distribution,

heat,metabolites, and facilitates transfer of gases.

Extraction

The reaction involved in the extraction of oil from algae is pyrolysis.

Bio diesel production

Advantages Aids in reducing the co2 levels.

Wastewater treatment by removal of ammonium ,

phosphate and nitrate ions making algae to grow

using these water contaminants as nutrients.

Although the vegetable seeds and micro algae

posses same lipid content but the biomass

productivity is high for algae.