Advances in bioconversion of microalgae with high biomass and lipid productivity

摘要

Biomass energy is considered a clean and sustainable energy source that can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. Among the different varieties of biomass, the algae can provide a number of different biofuel sources and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Botryococcus braunii is especially rich in lipids, which can be converted into bioenergy, but it typically grows more slowly. The aim of this study was to optimize the cultivation conditions in order to obtain high growth rates, biomass productivity, and lipid productivity. The effects of illumination and CO2 were studied in 21-day intervals. The cultured B. braunii in this work reached the maximum specific growth rate of 0.553 d(-1), and can tolerate CO2 concentrations of up to 10%. An illumination intensity of 6000 lux was identified as the optimum for both biomass and lipid productivities. Compared to the results of other studies, the major components of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMES) obtained in this study had shorter carbon chains. The percentage of C-14:0 and C-16:0 in the FAMEs was greater than 70%, indicating potential applications for biojet fuel. (C) 2017 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.