Sedimentation rate-based screening of oleaginous microalgae for utilization as a direct combustion fuel

Young Joon Sung, Anil Kumar Patel, Byung Sun Yu, Hong Il Choi, Jongrae Kim, Eon Seon Jin, Sang Jun Sim

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    29 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The co-combustion of microalgae biomass with coal has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by eliminating expensive and carbon-emitting downstream processes. In this study, the utilization of microalgal biomass as a direct combustion fuel in co-firing industries and the screening of potential oleaginous strains of high calorific value was investigated. High-lipid accumulating mutants were selected from mutant mixtures based on cell density using differential sedimentation rates. Of the mutant strains obtained in the top phase of the separation medium, 72% showed a higher lipid content than the wild-type strain. One mutant strain exhibited a 57.3% enhanced lipid content and a 9.3% lower heating value (LHV), both indicators of direct combustion fuel performance, compared to the wild-type strain. Our findings indicate that sedimentation rate-based strain selection allows for the easy and rapid screening of high-lipid content algal strains for the use of microalgae as direct combustion fuels.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number122045
    JournalBioresource technology
    Volume293
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2019 Dec

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This work was supported by the Korea CCS R&D Center (Korea CCS 2020 Project) of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea [grant number 2014M1A8A1049278 ]; the NRF [grant number NRF-2019R1A2C3009821/2010-002795 ]; and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korean government (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) [grant number 20172010202050 ].

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

    Keywords

    • Direct combustion fuel
    • High-lipid content strain
    • Microalgae
    • Sedimentation rate

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Bioengineering
    • Environmental Engineering
    • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
    • Waste Management and Disposal

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