Process development for hydrogen production with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii based on growth and product formation kinetics.

Certain strains of microalgae are long known to produce hydrogen under anaerobic conditions. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii the oxygen-sensitive hydrogenase enzyme recombines electrons from the chloroplast electron transport chain with protons to form molecular hydrogen directly inside the chloroplast. A sustained hydrogen production can be obtained under low sulfur conditions in C. reinhardtii, reducing the net oxygen evolution by reducing the photosystem II activity and thereby overcoming the inhibition of the hydrogenases. The development of specially adapted hydrogen production strains led to higher yields and optimized biological process preconditions. So far sustainable hydrogen production required a complete exchange of the growth medium to establish sulfur-deprived conditions after biomass growth. In this work we demonstrate the transition from the biomass growth phase to the hydrogen production phase in a single batch culture only by exact dosage of sulfur. This eliminates the elaborate and energy intensive solid-liquid separation step and establishes a process strategy to proceed further versus large scale production. This strategy has been applied to determine light dependent biomass growth and hydrogen production kinetics to assess the potential of H2 production with C. reinhardtii as a basis for scale up and further process optimization.

Modeling microalgae cultivation productivities in different geographic locations - estimation method for idealized photobioreactors.

Microalgae can be used to produce versatile high-value fuels, such as methane, biodiesel, ethanol, or hydrogen gas. One of the most important factors that influence the economics of microalgae cultivation is the primary production of biomass per unit area. This is determined by productivity rates during cultivation, which are influenced by the local climate conditions (solar irradiation, temperature). To compare locations in different climate regions for microalgae cultivation, a mathematical model for an idealized closed photobioreactor was developed. The applied growth kinetics were based on theoretical maximum photon-conversion efficiencies (for the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy in the form of biomass). Known or estimated temperature effects for different algal strains were incorporated. The model was used to calculate hourly average areal productivity rates as well as annual primary production values under local conditions at seven example locations. Here, hourly weather data (solar irradiance and air temperature) were taken into account. According to these model calculations, maximum annual yields were achieved in regions with high irradiation and temperature patterns in or near the optimum range of the specific algal strain (here, desert and equatorial humid climates). The developed model can be used as a tool to assess and compare individual locations for microalgae cultivation.

Closed photo-bioreactors as tools for biofuel production.

Production of biofuels from microalgae is a promising sustainable option for the future. Unfortunately, until now production of algae biomass is too expensive owing to costly plant designs or high demand of auxiliary energy. These problems are addressed in recent developments. Basic ideas that are followed in different novel pilot plants are efficient mixing, high light dilution via large external surfaces or internal light conducting structures and gas transport via membranes. Other attempts are directed towards cheaper constructions. These endeavours have brought microalgal biofuel production closer to economic viability as has been shown in some pilot plants. But until now, these plants operate only on a small area and a limited time frame, making economic assessment difficult. The next years will show, whether these promises can be kept on a pure commercial basis for a whole process chain from algae cultivation to oil extraction during a whole year and on a real hectare.

Modelling of growth and product formation of Porphyridium purpureum.

In this contribution experimental data and simulations of growth and product formation of the unicellular microalgae Porphyridium purpureum are presented. A mathematical model has been developed for a better understanding of growth and product formation in production plants. The model has been refined with the results of several cultivations in a new photobioreactor designed especially for the study of microalgal kinetics under highly defined illumination conditions. In this photobioreactor light is generated by an external light source and then distributed by means of optical fibres into an internal draft tube which also serves as irradiation element. All cultivations were performed in turbidostate mode. The influence of different light intensity changes, including stepwise change and light-dark cycles in the range from millisecond to second, has been investigated and the results were integrated into the mathematical model. The structured mathematical model consists of three levels: metabolic flux, control of macromolecules and the reactor level. A new linear optimization approach has been realized, enabling the model to describe even very different cultivation conditions. Output variables are among others the commercially interesting macromolecules of the microalgae, e.g. polysaccharides, pigments and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, reliable predictions of the specific production rates of these products are possible for the production in a larger scale.

Photosynthetic biomass and H2 production by green algae: from bioengineering to bioreactor scale-up.

The development of clean borderless fuels is of vital importance to human and environmental health and global prosperity. Currently, fuels make up approximately 67% of the global energy market (total market = 15 TW year(-1)) (Hoffert et al. 1998). In contrast, global electricity demand accounts for only 33% (Hoffert et al. 1998). Yet, despite the importance of fuels, almost all CO(2) free energy production systems under development are designed to drive electricity generation (e.g. clean-coal technology, nuclear, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, wave and hydroelectric). In contrast, and indeed almost uniquely, biofuels also target the much larger fuel market and so in the future will play an increasingly important role in maintaining energy security (Lal 2005). Currently, the main biofuels that are at varying stages of development include bio-ethanol, liquid carbohydrates [e.g. biodiesel or biomass to liquid (BTL) products], biomethane and bio-H(2). This review is focused on placing bio-H(2) production processes into the context of the current biofuels market and summarizing advances made both at the level of bioengineering and bioreactor design.