Energy from algae: growth optimization and algae-to-fuel conversion routes

Microalgae are generally considered as a high-potential renewable biomass source towards the production of energetically efficient and sustainable fuels. Optimization of the various steps in the algae-to-fuel chain is required in order to achieve this goal, and especially the algae culturing. An alternative culturing configuration, a so-called Hybrid Culture System, has been tested in order to combine the low cost advantage and easy operation of an open pond system with the high rate of control and higher productivity of a photobioreactor. Using this hybrid system, the biomass productivity could be nearly doubled in comparison to the production of a single open pond. In addition, the effect of intrinsic growth parameters such as light intensity and nutrient concentration has been studied to improve the understanding of the growth kinetics (which could be described by the Michaelis-Menten kinetics) of the algae species (Chlorella fusca) used in the development of the system.