Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass

Traditional biofuels have been criticized, primarily, because there is not neutral CO2 balance and its production is based on raw materials used for human alimentation. Microalgae emerges as a promising renewable, not food, source for biofuels production, however, its principal obstacle are the high...

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Main Authors: A.Y. Pinzón Frias, A. Gonzalez-Delgado, V. Kafarov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2015-09-01
Series:Chemical Engineering Transactions
Online Access:https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/4711
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author A.Y. Pinzón Frias
A. Gonzalez-Delgado
V. Kafarov
author_facet A.Y. Pinzón Frias
A. Gonzalez-Delgado
V. Kafarov
author_sort A.Y. Pinzón Frias
collection DOAJ
description Traditional biofuels have been criticized, primarily, because there is not neutral CO2 balance and its production is based on raw materials used for human alimentation. Microalgae emerges as a promising renewable, not food, source for biofuels production, however, its principal obstacle are the high production costs. One alternative proposed by researchers to achieve a feasible production is the incorporation of the biorefinery concept, which is a framework for producing several products, including energy, from biomass giving economic competitiveness due to high value co-products. In this paper, a first approximation of a topology of microalgae biorefinery was analyzed. The analysis was based on process simulation with the software SuperPro Designer for modeling the topology through stages. The harvest stage consists of a chemical flocculation and a filter press; the lipid extraction stage was made first lysing the cells by means of acid and basic hydrolysis, then a pigment extraction with hexane, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) concentration forming urea complexes, and triglycerides (TGs) recovery from complexes formed; furthermore, the last stage where the transformation from lipids to biodiesel through homogeneous transesterification ocurred. Finally, taking into account the energy integration principle with Aspen Energy Analyzer was possible to reduce the external services of heating and cooling with the aim to improve the topology propoused.
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spelling doaj.art-3e2f3e82d4664a0b90e4925adb8c47de2022-12-21T23:45:36ZengAIDIC Servizi S.r.l.Chemical Engineering Transactions2283-92162015-09-014510.3303/CET1545304Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae BiomassA.Y. Pinzón FriasA. Gonzalez-DelgadoV. KafarovTraditional biofuels have been criticized, primarily, because there is not neutral CO2 balance and its production is based on raw materials used for human alimentation. Microalgae emerges as a promising renewable, not food, source for biofuels production, however, its principal obstacle are the high production costs. One alternative proposed by researchers to achieve a feasible production is the incorporation of the biorefinery concept, which is a framework for producing several products, including energy, from biomass giving economic competitiveness due to high value co-products. In this paper, a first approximation of a topology of microalgae biorefinery was analyzed. The analysis was based on process simulation with the software SuperPro Designer for modeling the topology through stages. The harvest stage consists of a chemical flocculation and a filter press; the lipid extraction stage was made first lysing the cells by means of acid and basic hydrolysis, then a pigment extraction with hexane, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) concentration forming urea complexes, and triglycerides (TGs) recovery from complexes formed; furthermore, the last stage where the transformation from lipids to biodiesel through homogeneous transesterification ocurred. Finally, taking into account the energy integration principle with Aspen Energy Analyzer was possible to reduce the external services of heating and cooling with the aim to improve the topology propoused.https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/4711
spellingShingle A.Y. Pinzón Frias
A. Gonzalez-Delgado
V. Kafarov
Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass
Chemical Engineering Transactions
title Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass
title_full Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass
title_fullStr Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass
title_full_unstemmed Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass
title_short Simulation and Energy Integration for a Biorefinery of Valuable Substances and Biofuel from Microalgae Biomass
title_sort simulation and energy integration for a biorefinery of valuable substances and biofuel from microalgae biomass
url https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/4711
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