Microalgae polyculture for sustainable bio-naphtha and bioproducts
This innovative approach uses microalgae polycultures with optimized microbiomes to produce bio-naphtha sustainably. It leverages outdoor pond systems with chicken manure wastewater and probiotic bacteria to enhance productivity, reducing costs and carbon footprint.
Overview
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is pioneering a sustainable method for producing bio-naphtha and bioproducts through microalgae polycultures. This approach utilizes outdoor pond systems and chicken manure wastewater as nutrient sources, enhancing algae growth with selected probiotic bacteria. This method aims to achieve higher productivity compared to traditional monocultures, while significantly reducing the carbon footprint and production costs by using natural sunlight and non-potable water sources.
Technical specifications
- Microalgae Polycultures: Utilizes diverse microalgae species including Desmodesmus sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus for enhanced growth.
- Probiotic Bacteria: Incorporates strains like Novosphingobium W33 and Pseudomonas sp. which produce the plant hormone IAA, boosting algae growth by up to 50%.
- Nutrient Source: Employs chicken manure wastewater, creating a cost-effective and sustainable nutrient cycle.
- Production Process: Includes outdoor mini-pond testing and analysis of biomass composition, focusing on lipid, protein, and carbohydrate content.
- Bio-naphtha Generation: Bio-oil is produced via hydrothermal liquefaction and distilled to obtain volatile fractions suitable for bio-naphtha.
Technology readiness level
Currently at TRL 4, this technology has been validated in laboratory settings and is transitioning to outdoor testing in mini-ponds. The ongoing research aims to further optimize the algae-bacteria interactions and validate the system under real-world conditions to advance its readiness for commercial application.
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