Subterranean photobioreactors for commercial-industrial scale algal culture

There are many potential benefits to the mining industry accruing from the application of algal biotechnology. The main benefits are in the production of biodiesel and in the remediation of mining brownfields. The research in this study was centered in the original idea that these brownfields represent a tremendous opportunity for use as a hybrid model for redevelopment into sustainable mines of biomass. The ability of these underground spaces serving as bioreactors to control all aspects of the growing environment, from lighting, to temperature, to biosecurity, are key advantages that have been identified in the literature. The many benefits inherent in sequestering the growth of phototrophic, halotolerant, eukaryotic, green microalgae within underground mining spaces mitigates many of the recognized shortcomings of current commercial-industrial models for algae culture. The singular challenge to the entire model was the effective production of light energy and fostering maximum photosynthetic efficiency within the microalgae. As a result, the focus on the experimental laboratory work concentrated on the development of tools and techniques for evaluation of different lighting regimes with an algae species chosen from a family with an industrial-commercial pedigree. The fundamental experimental work with the microalgae Dunaliella viridis revealed a novel and unforeseen aspect of experiments with monochromatic light sources. The results demonstrated surprising and potentially beneficial morphology changes as a result of the lighting treatments. Capitalization on these benefits in the proposed hybrid model were then examined in a collection of proposed future experiments, sustainability analysis, and fundamental economic analysis --Abstract, page iii

The Use of Modulated Light to Enhance Oil Production from Algae in an Underground Environment [abstract]

Only abstract of poster available.Track II: Transportation and BiofuelsThe production of bio-fuel from algae is one of the few remaining potential sustainable resources that continue to show considerable potential for fuel production (the others include cellulosic ethanol, sugar cane ethanol, and biodiesel from jatropha and the oil palm). However the need for large areas for production and the low areal yield make the costs of surface structures prohibitive to the commercial development of algae as a biodiesel source of sufficient size to have a significant impact on the international need for liquid fuel. Through the use of abandoned portions of existing mines a productive volume is created that has no impact on the controversies over “food or fuel” and which has the additional benefit of the existing third dimension in the mine which allows an increase in areal yield of as much as 60-fold. This space has already been created, and has the advantage of remaining at a constant, and optimal growing, temperature all year with minimal cost. The presence of existing infrastructure, including walls, means that construction costs are also minimized. The darkness of the mine can be overcome by transmitting in light, and distributing it throughout the bioreactor using an array of LEDs. While there is some loss in conversion, there is also an advantage, since it has been shown that by modulating light (flashing it on and off) the yield of algae can be increased an additional eight-fold. In this way the additional cost of providing that light can be overcome, particularly since, with the use of suitable LEDs the light can be distributed only in the wavelengths (450 - 650 nm) that is the range most productively used by the algae. The process has the advantage of capturing carbon dioxide, and reusing it, rather than immediately discharging it into the atmosphere, if the algae are fed with power plant flue gases (which are often conveniently located near mining operations)

Coal comminution with waterjets for diesel engine power generation [abstract]

Only abstract of poster available.Track I: Power GenerationIn near term of the next few decades, coal will likely remain fundamental to supplying significant quantities of affordable electrical energy while other alternatives are developed. 50% of the U.S. domestic electricity is supplied by coal and that number is expected to increase as the U.S. has the world's largest reserves of coal. However, burning coal is not without drawbacks as its contribution smog, acid rain, and other air quality issues are well documented. By tapping the multi-disciplinary expertise at Missouri University of Science and Technology, certain technologies and equipment are coming to light that could be employed for mining and coal preparation to create a more valuable and cleaner product. Thus far, researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have evolved an efficient and compact method for rapid coal size reduction to the sub-micron level. In fact, the fine coal slurry has proved to be substitute diesel fuel in field trials. The utilization of coal as a fuel for compression combustion engines has been a goal since diesel engines were invented by Rudolf Diesel. General Motors Corp. engineers began exploring the possibility of developing a coal powered engine in the late 1970's, when petroleum prices were skyrocketing. The use of powdered coal as a transportation fuel only became possible in the early 1970's with advanced milling techniques that produced much finer powders, reducing the size of the average coal particle from 57 microns to about 3 microns. Coal comminution with waterjets to sizes below 1 micron has been successfully demonstrated at the Missouri University of Science and Technology laboratories. This improved method of comminution is promising for producing liquid fuel for compression combustion engines. Coal preparation involves both comminution and contaminant removal with the one dependant, to a degree, on the other. Technologies for coal preparation differ as the particle sizes change. As the high density coal slurry is produced by introduction of coal into the cavitation chamber, inorganic mineral constituents are liberated along the grain boundaries of coal. This leads to a more straightforward separation process and can potentially lower the level of ash content, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and other toxic metals. It is anticipated that the new diesel fuel derived from coal could be used to drive large diesel engines for power generation in stationary application. This would ease problems associated with fuel delivery and storage, emission control, and other infrastructure required to support commercial deployment of the technology. Current research concerns optimum cavitation conditions required for coal comminution to sub-micron size. Future studies will include evaluation of environmental and economic benefits of alcohols and biofuels derived from the aqueous cavitation media with added the anticipation to leverage nanomaterials science research

Potential Enhancement of Biofuel Production through Enzymatic Biomass Degradation Activity and Biodiesel Production by Halophilic Microorganisms

There are many economic and negative environmental impacts that need to be solved before biofuels become a viable replacement for some of the fossil fuel demand. One environmental problem is the great amount of water required for the production of biofuels. The use of halophilic/halotolerant algae can greatly reduce the amount of water required for biodiesel production. The use of halophiles and their enzymes for degrading cellulosic biomass might also help reduce the need for high temperatures and pH neutralization of the pretreated biomass before fermentation. Significant amounts of information have been discovered about extremophilic lignocellulolytic systems. Investigations of halophilic lignocellulolytic degradation are at their initial stages. Modern recombinant screening techniques and data mining of genomes have the potential to yield many halophilic lignocellulytic enzymes. Thus, there is great potential for developing biotechnologies with halophilic/halotolerant algae for the production of biodiesel as well as halophilic lignocellulytic enzymes for treating biomass