DESIGN OF ALGAE BIODIESEL PRODUCTION SYSTEM

ROBERT KANDAGOR
ABE/501/11

ADAM RASHID
ABE/518/11

A Proposal submitted to the School of Engineering in Partial Fulfillment for

the Requirement of the award of a Degree in Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering of University of Eldoret.
1

DECLARATION

We hereby declare that this is our original work and has not been presented in this or any other
university for the award of a degree, diploma or certificate.

ROBERT KANDAGOR
ABE/501/011
SIGN:
DATE:

ADAM RASHID
ABE/518/011
SIGN:
DATE:

This work has been submitted with our approval as the candidates supervisors.
1. DR. JULIUS K. KOLLONGEI
Sign:
(Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.)

Date:

2. ENG. MULINDI SOLOMON

Sign:
(Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.)

Date:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank our Supervisor, Dr. Julius K Kollongei and Eng.Solomon Mulindi, for
their support and guidance during the writing of this proposal. Our frequent meetings were very
insightful.
Their encouragements and thoughtful comments made this work a success. I also acknowledge
the staff of the department of agricultural and biosystems engineering for their wonderful
academic support during our study. Also, we would like to thank the University of Eldoret for
giving us learning opportunity and experience.
Above all, we give glory to the Almighty God for giving us strength and endurance throughout
the study period.

ABSTRACT

With the ever increasing need for energy and impending depletion of fossil fuels. It has
become necessary to research suitable sources of energy, promising alternatives to
conventional fossil fuels include algae biofuels, particularly algae biodiesel. In an effort
to better understand the processing procedures associated with producing biodiesel.
FORTRAN software was used to simulate a biodiesel production. Specifically analyses
were conducted by varying operating parameters to observe how they affect production
throughout the process.
Keywords: Biodiesel production, Microalgae, Simulation and Life cycle assessment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION.............................................................................................................................1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................2
5

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
1.1 Back ground information.......................................................................................................4
1.3 Objectives...............................................................................................................................5
1.3.1 Broad Objectives.............................................................................................................5
1.3.2 Specific Objectives..........................................................................................................5
1.4 Justification of the study........................................................................................................5
1.5 Significance of study..............................................................................................................6
1.6 Scope and limitations.............................................................................................................6
LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................................................................7
METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................8
CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN......................................................................................................8
CONTROL SYSTEM ALGORITHM...........................................................................................10
SYSTEM LAYOUT.......................................................................................................................11
RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Back ground information
Over the past several decades demand for energy has grown, and is projected to continue
growing drastically around the world. This demand has been met largely by fossil fuels
such as coal, oil, and natural gas.. This drastic increase in energy demand is not as severe
as in Kenya but still presents a major problem.
Although Kenya energy demand is not increasing to the degree that world demand is,
Kenya is not immune to energy issues. As is the case with the rest of the world. Kenya
gets most of its energy needs from fossil fuels. While relatively abundant and
inexpensive, these sources are finite and eventually will become depleted. This is
disconcerting considering the obvious reliance on fossil fuels. In addition, the combustion
of fossil fuels produces large amounts of air pollutants which accumulate in the
atmosphere.It is for these reasons, among others, that growing concern has spurred
research into alternative fuel sources. One of these particularly intriguing alternatives is
biodiesel.

1.3 OBJECTIVES

1.3.1 Broad Objectives.

The objective of this study is to simulate optimal conditions for biodiesel production in
algae as a source of renewable energy.
Design a variable control system for growing conditions of microalgae

1.3.2

Specific Objectives.

Design of algae bio diesel production system.

1.4 Justification of the study

Process simulation is an alternative tool to simulate biodiesel production. In addition,
process simulation is selected to obtain the mass and energy data for the application of
the environmental assessment. We will use FORTRAN for this work. The simulation is
used to propose a conceptual design of biodiesel production. The process design is
divided into six sections, methanol recovery, separation of biodiesel and glycerol,
biodiesel washing and purification, alkali removal and glycerol purification.

1.5 Significance of study

In addition to producing biofuel, algae can also be explored for a variety of other uses, such as
fertilizer and pollution control. Certain species of algae can be land-applied for use as an organic
fertilizer, either in its raw or semi-decomposed form (Thomas, 2002). Algae can be grown in
ponds to collect fertilizer runoff from farms; the nutrient-rich algae can then be collected and
reapplied as fertilizer, potentially reducing crop-production costs. In wastewater-treatment
facilities, microalgae can be used to reduce the amount of chemicals needed to clean and purify
water.
In addition, algae can also be used for reducing the emissions of CO 2 from power plants. Coal is,
by far, the largest fossil energy resource available in the world.

1.6 Scope and limitations.

The limitations of the study are finances, and accessibility of accurate and more laboratory
equipment.

LITERATURE REVIEW
PHOTO BIOREACTORS
Photo bioreactors permit essential growth and culture of only single species of microalgae for a
prolonged time. A tubular photo bioreactor consists of several straight transparent glass or plastic
tubes arranged together in the form of an array. This tubular array is often known as solar
collectors and they are used to capture the sunlight. To maximize the productivity of the array,
the tubes are generally of 0.1m or lesser in diameter in accordance to the lights infiltrability
through the dense culture broth that is necessary for high biomass production in the photo
bioreactor.
The solar collector is oriented to maximize sunlight capture. In India (Chennai), the optimum tilt
angle is about 30 degrees facing south. In a typical arrangement, the tubes are aligned horizontal,
and parallel to each other, in the north south direction in order to aid their tilt in the south
direction. Sometimes, they are arranged in the form of fences to accommodate more number of
tubes in a given area. Ground below the tubes is painted white to increase reflection.
Artificial illumination may be used in labs. It is feasible but it is far more expensive that natural
illumination and may be used only in production of high value products. In order to prevent
sedimentation of biomass in the tubes, the flow inside the tube is turbulent. Pumps used to
circulate the biomass at the turbulent rates may be mechanical or airlift pumps. Mechanical
pumps damage the algae as they pump it; however airlift pumps dont only preserve the algae
structure but can also be used to supply the algae with essential carbon dioxide and other
atmospheric gases

Image of an algae photobioreactor.

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RACEWAY PONDS
A raceway pond is an oval closed loop structure built for continuous and steady recirculation and
mixing of algae fuels as the feed (culture ) is added and broth (waste, residue water) is harvested
at equal rates. The pond is approximately 0.4m deep and a paddle is made to operate at all-time
including at night to prevent sedimentation of broth. Flow in the raceway ponds is guided by the
baffles placed along the walls. These walls are usually made from concrete and may be lined
with plastic. Since the pond is open to the atmosphere, evaporation can be significant. Because of
losses to atmosphere, raceways use carbon dioxide much less efficiently than photo bioreactors.
Productivity is affected by contamination due to unwanted microorganisms that feed on algae.
Raceways are perceived to be less expensive than photo bioreactors, because they cost less to be
built and operate. However, with low building cost, they also have low biomass productivity
when compared with photo bioreactors. Biomass productivity is not only dependent on the total
amount of solar energy falling on the culture surface, but also on the quantity of energy available
at the cell level: these are the concepts of 'light regime' and 'light per cell' expressed by
Richmond (1987).

ENCLOSED PHOTOBIOREACTORS
Enclosed photobioreactors have been employed to overcome the contamination and evaporation
problems encountered in open ponds (Molina Grima et al., 1999). These systems are made of
transparent materials and generally placed outdoors for illumination by natural light. The
cultivation vessels have a large surface area-to-volume ratio.
The most widely used photobioreactor is a tubular design, which has a number of clear
transparent tubes, usually aligned with the sun rays (Figure 3). The tubes are generally less than
10 centimeters in diameter to maximize sunlight penetration (Chisti, 2007). The medium broth is
circulated through a pump to the tubes, where it is exposed to light for photosynthesis, and then
back to a reservoir. The algal biomass is prevented from settling by maintaining a highly
turbulent flow within the reactor, using either a mechanical pump or an airlift pump (Chisti,
2007). A portion of the algae is usually harvested after the solar collection tubes. In this way,
continuous algal culture is possible (Chisti, 2007). In some photobioreactors, the tubes are coiled
spirals to form what is known as a helical tubular photobioreactor, but these sometimes require
artificial illumination, which adds to the production cost. Therefore, this technology is only used
for high-value products, not biodiesel feedstock.

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Schematic tubular photobioreactor.

The photosynthesis process generates oxygen. In an open-raceway system, this is not a problem
as the oxygen is simply returned to the atmosphere. However, in the closed photobioreactor, the
oxygen levels will build up until they inhibit and poison the algae. The culture must periodically
be returned to a degassing zone, an area where the algal broth is bubbled with air to remove the
excess oxygen. Also, the algae use carbon dioxide, which can cause carbon starvation and an
increase in pH. Therefore, carbon dioxide must be fed into the system in order to successfully
cultivate the microalgae on a large scale. Photobioreactors may require cooling during daylight
hours, and the temperature must be regulated at night hours as well. This may be done through
heat exchangers, located either in the tubes themselves or in the degassing column.
The advantages of the enclosed photobioreactors are obvious. They can overcome the problems
of contamination and evaporation encountered in open ponds (Molina Grima et al., 1999). The
biomass productivity of photobioreactors can be 13 times greater than that of a traditional
raceway pond, on average (Chisti, 2007). Harvesting of biomass from photobioreactors is less
expensive than that from a raceway pond, since the typical algal biomass is about 30 times as
concentrated as the biomass found in raceways (Chisti, 2007). However, enclosed
photobioreactors also have some disadvantages. For example, the reactors are more expensive
and difficult to scale up. Moreover, light limitation cannot be entirely overcome since light
penetration is inversely proportional to the cell concentration. Attachment of cells to the tube
walls may also prevent light penetration. Although enclosed systems can enhance the biomass
concentration, the growth of microalgae is still suboptimal due to variations in temperature and
light intensity.
Harvesting: After growing in open ponds or photobioreactors, the microalgae biomass needs to
be harvested for further processing. The commonly used harvest method is through gravity
settlement, or centrifuge. The oil from the biomass will be removed through solvent extraction
and further processed into biodiesel.

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Nutrients
METHODOLOGY
Design Approach
The first step taken was to define the problem statement. The next was to
formulate an objective. The objective is to design a small scale system that
could be built and run by an individual, in his residence, to produce algae
and convert it to biodiesel. This objective was deemed more appropriate to
the time frame, budget, and level of expertise available. Research in
literature on algae biology and previous experimental designs was conducted
in order to obtain background knowledge involved in the design of algae
cultivation systems.
To be precise, this involved reading articles in biotechnology journals as well
as reading important sections of biology books relevant to this topic. The
design team also met several times with Dr. Julius K Kollongei.The
information gathered gave the design team preliminary ideas about potential
design paths. At this point, the system components (Phase 1, Phase 2,
Harvesting and Conversion to biodiesel) were established. Furthermore, its
scale, potential building materials and construction techniques are much
better defined.

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Open ponds
In this system, the shallow pond is about 1 foot deep; algae are cultured under conditions
identical to their natural environment. The pond is designed in a raceway configuration, in which
a paddlewheel provides circulation and mixing of the algal cells and nutrients (Figure below).

The raceways are typically made from poured concrete, or they are simply dug into the earth and
lined with plastic to prevent the ground from soaking up the liquid. Baffles in the channel guide
the flow around bends in order to minimize space. The system is often operated in a continuous
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mode that is, the fresh feed containing nutrients including nitrogen phosphorus and inorganic
salts is added in front of the paddle wheel. Algal broth is harvested behind the paddle wheel after
it has circulated through the loop (Figure above). Depending on the nutrients required by algal
species, a variety of wastewater sources can be used for the algal culture, such as dairy/swine
lagoon effluent and municipal wastewater. For some marine types of microalgae, seawater or
water with high salinity can be used.
Although open ponds cost less to build and operate than enclosed photobioreactors, this culture
system has its intrinsic disadvantages. Since these are open-air systems, they often experience a
lot of water loss due to evaporation. Thus, microalgae growing in an open pond do not uptake
carbon dioxide efficiently.

A mathematical model describing the production of Biodiesel will be

developed. The model will be based on the reverse mechanism on reactions
and describes specific points based on inputs to the system and expected
outputs. The considered parameters and overall of model are as posted
below;

Start function
Check PH conditions and Temperature
Adjust conditions to desired point as in demand e.g. If temperature is
low, the system will initiate heating before proceeding to the next point
in the system. If the temperature is adequate, the system will give a
notification to proceed to the next point
Monitor and adjustment of carbon-dioxide supply within the system
Nutrient supply input
Record of data and saving in systems memory

The predictive result of the developed model will checked for the very wide
range of operational conditions and parameters. A very good correlation
between model simulations and experimental data will be observed as in the
expected control system below.

CONTROL SYSTEM ALGORITHM

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We will use Fortran for numeric and scientific computation to input formulae
that will automatically generate the intended output of the entire biodiesel
production system. This will make the entire work automatic as output will
depend on the formulae input and translated.
1. We begin with a step size of 25 (denoted by STEP) and, for each point on
the grid, compute the units for temperatures, pH, Carbon-dioxide supply,
and Nutrients using. Next we solve the layout model with these parameters
and compute the values for the system algorithm, parameter units denoted
by paunit, and biodiesel production limit denoted by biolim. All points that
are feasible with respect to the two constraints are stored in a table and
sorted in ascending order by the value of the system algorithm (salg).
2. A candidate list is then constructed by marking (i) the best point in the list
(rst), and (ii) the best point in each succeeding group of 10 points.
3. The step size is reduced from 25 to 5 and a new grid is constructed around
each point on the candidate list. The grid is centered at the current value of
sb, b 2{biodiesel}, and is de-ned over the interval [sb STEP_OLD,sb +
STEP_OLD]. Points are enumerated sequentially and evaluated as in Step 1

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above. Solutions that satisfy constraints and are added to the table of
feasible grid points.
4. Steps 2 and 3 are repeated with STEP.1. The algorithm then terminates.
5. The full table of feasible points is re-sorted by salg and stored in an
external le.
6. All points generated (feasible and infeasible) together with the system
algorithm and parameter units, and biodiesel production limit are written to
an external le in a format suitable for spreadsheet importation.
The expected system outlay for efficient implementation of the above control system is as in the
diagram below

SYSTEM LAYOUT

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EXPECTED RESULTS
The expected result of this project is a design of an energy and cost efficient
Open pond system that will produce algae to be used for transformation into
biodiesel. The design should be able to operate either indoor in controlled
conditions or outdoors in a tropical type of climate. The system should be simple
and cheap enough for anyone to build and operate. It will use cheap and easy to
find materials and should have an energy ratio output:input greater than 1.

18

Since the needs of people are different from one another and the system will be
designed in order to produce a certain quantity of biofuel, tips on how to down
size and scale-up will be given.
It is expected that this innovative project will interest environmentally conscious
people, who will all be quite willing to invest in this system in order to conserve
and protect the environment even though it may cost them slightly more than
gas.
The system will also be modeled either physically or by computer in order to
show the dimensions of the physical structure, but also to show the interactions
within and between the different components.

Table 7 - Work Schedule Month

Feb-09

Activity
Continue literature review
Discussion with
professors/experts
Decide what production
19

Time allocation (hrs.)

30
6
2

method to use
Decide what the components
of the system will be, based
on research
Design Phase I
Design Phase II
Design Phase III
Design production system to
biodiesel
Model system
Conduct system test analysis
Conduct cost analysis
Explore potential for scale-up
Compose final report
Develop final presentation
Deliver final presentation

Mar-09

Apr-09

May-09

Total

20

10
20
20
2
10
40
10
10
5
40
9
1
205

REFERENCES

Chisti, Y. 2007. Biodiesel from microalgae. Biotechnology Advances 25:294-306.

Grobbelaar, J.U. 2004. Algal nutrition. In: A. Richmond, ed. Handbook of Microalgal
Culture: Biotechnology and Applied Phycology. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 97-115.

Metting, F.B. 1996. Biodiversity and application of microalgae. Journal of Industrial

Microbiology 17:477-489

Molina, Grima E., Acien, Fernandez F.G., Garcia, Camacho F., Chisti, Y. 1999.
Photobioreactors: Light regime, mass transfer, and scale up. Journal of Biotechnology
70:231-247.

Spolaore, P., Joannis-Cassan, C., Duran, E., Isambert, A. 2006. Commercial application
of microalgae. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 101:87-96.

Thomas, D.N. 2002. Seaweeds. The Natural History Museum: London. ISBN 0 565
09175 1.

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