The controlled anaerobic digestion of organic waste in a biogas facility aggregates advantages of waste treatment, energy recovery and nutrient recycling and is a promising technology to deal with contemporary issues of waste management and energy recovery. Small-scale biogas production units can be simply designed and successfully operated even in settings where means for advanced technology equipment are low and institutional capacities limited. In the country of Lebanon, landfilling and open dumping of solid waste is common practice and anaerobic treatment of waste is applied only sporadically and hence, not well-established. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of small-scale biogas production using organic waste, explore options for its application and propose a business model on how feedstock sourcing, facility operation and end product utilization could be realized in the research area. Research area was Ghazir village, a community within the urbanized coastal area in Lebanon. Methods were of both quantitative and qualitative nature.A techno-economic assessment served to quantify biogas and liquid digestate production rates, based on available resources of organic waste in the research area. Costs associated with installation, operation and maintenance of the proposed facility have been projected based on present examples of similar facilities in the country. Interviews with local stakeholders and a questionnaire survey among residents in the area of research allowed to identify suitable end use options for the produced biogas and served to explore communal acceptance of local biogas production. Results show that the produced biogas can be used for thermal feedstock treatment to supply local farmers with a fertilizer alternative, i.e. the liquid digestate. Organic waste that is subject to the anaerobic treatment in a digester can be provided by multiple point sources, i.e. households and a local food market in the form of source-sorted kitchen waste and unsold fruits and vegetables, respectively. Due to the current unfamiliarity with anaerobic treatment of organic waste in the research area, tests on the effects on crop yields are advised to take place before implementation of the proposed business model, as its communal benefits hinge on the suitability of the liquid digestate as a fertilizer. Economic calculations show low investment costs for the proposed facility as well as acceptable annual revenues in case the liquid digestate proves to be of interest for commercial acquisition by local farmers. The used methods and strategies in this feasibility assessment, i.e. waste quantification, yield and cost calculations, stakeholder interviews and questionnaire survey allow for replication of the taken investigation to eventually initiate small-scale biogas production using organic waste in other settings with similar conditions.

The aim of the study was to compere the reactor with sludge cloud and external separator biomass in different modes. This typ of reactor is principally used in wastewater treatment and in this work was designed for production of biogas from biosmass, commonly used in agricultural biogas plants. The reactor assembly was prepared in the laboratory of the available glass flasks, connected by rubber tubing and mixing pump. The entire device was immersed in a water bath heated thermostat. For the purpose of this work was used samples from biogas Týnec near Dobrovice at Mladoboleslavko. The reaktor was injectable liquid portion, formed after adjusment method IFBB (Integrated Generation of Solid Fuel and Biogas from Biomass). The principle of this method consists in separating the liquid and solid components of biomass. Operation of the reactor was carried out in three stirring models: without stirring, medium stirring, intensive stirring. Further, the operation was compared at 40°C and 53 °C in a mode without stirring. This monitoring is carried abut for five hours. The specimens was taken every hour and after drying to COD (determine chemical oxygen demand), which expresses the degree of degradation of organic matter. The results show that the laboratory devie model stirring does not show. However, the temperature change from 40°C to 53°C showed an increased degradation of organic matter.

Les conditions de culture de microalgues autotrophes en système ouvert associant microalgues / bactéries ont été étudiées au cours de ce travail de thèse. L'objectif était de développer un procédé de valorisation des nutriments (N, P) contenus dans la phase liquide des digestats issus de méthanisation agricole. Dans un premier temps, une synthèse sur les filières de méthanisation suivi d'un état de l'art sur les microalgues et leurs conditions de culture ont permis de mettre en évidence les principaux paramètres d'influence spécifiques à l'influent étudié, tels que la coloration, et les interactions avec les processus de nitrification/dénitrification. Ainsi, dans le but de mieux comprendre les mécanismes et d'évaluer les impacts des paramètres principaux, un pilote de laboratoire composé de 6 réacteurs de 2,5 litres a été conçu et des analyses spécifiques ont été développées au laboratoire. A partir de ces outils, l'effet de la couleur et de la lumière sur la pénétration de la lumière et sur la croissance algale a été quantifié. Ensuite, l'influence du ratio N/P du milieu a été testée, ce qui a permis de mettre en exergue le stockage du phosphore par les microalgues, leur permettant de continuer leur croissance lorsque le phosphore du milieu est épuisé. Par la suite, le transfert du dioxyde de carbone et son impact sur la croissance des microalgues ont été étudiés. La productivité algale est fonction de la quantité de CO2 fournie à la culture et chute à 0 sans injection. Enfin, l'étude du temps de séjour des solides et de leur fréquence d'extraction a révélé que la nitrification-dénitrification est un mécanisme important d'élimination de l'azote dans une culture algale en continu et en système ouvert. Il peut même s'avérer prédominant par rapport à l'assimilation de l'azote par les microalgues dans certaines conditions. La proportion de chacun de ces processus peut néanmoins être contrôlée par ces paramètres. Ces expérimentations ont par ailleurs permis de mieux comprendre les interactions entre microalgues et bactéries nitrifiantes ainsi que la prédominance des genres d'algues en fonction des conditions de culture. Les microalgues sont de meilleures compétitrices sur le phosphore que les bactéries nitrifiantes. De plus, lorsque le phosphore n'est pas limitant, la nitrification est réduite en proportion de la productivité algale. En cas de limitation en phosphore et avec une faible lumière disponible, les genres d'algues qui se sont montrés dominants sont Scenedesmus sp. et Chlorella sp. Respectivement. Les essais expérimentaux ont été complétés par le développement ou l'adaptation de modèles biocinétiques capables de représenter la croissance algale et l'épuration assez fidèlement. A partir de cette modélisation, différentes configurations ont été simulées pour dimensionner un lagunage algal à haut rendement et ainsi mieux comprendre et apprécier la faisabilité d'une culture algale pour extraire les nutriments des digestats. / The culture conditions of autotrophic microalgae in open system associating microalgae/bacteria were studied in this thesis. The objective was to develop a process to valorize nutrients (N, P) contained in the liquid phase of digestate coming from agricultural methanization. First, a synthesis of anaerobic digestion process followed by a state of art on microalgae and their culture conditions allowed to highlight the main parameters specific to the studied influent, such as coloration, and the interactions with nitrification-denitrification processes. To better understand the mechanisms and study the impact of the main parameters, a laboratory-scale pilot composed of six 2.5L-reactors was designed and specific analyses were developed at the laboratory. With the help of those tools, effects of color and light on light penetration and on microalgae growth were quantified. Then, the study of the N:P ratio of the medium allowed to highlight the phosphorus storage by microalgae, allowing them to continue their growth while the phosphorus of the medium was depleted. Thereafter, the carbon dioxide transfer and its impact on microalgae growth were studied. The algal productivity is a function of the quantity of provided CO2 into the culture and fall to zero without injection. Finally, the study of solid retention time and extraction rate revealed that nitrification-denitrification is an important mechanism for nitrogen removal in a continuous algae culture in open system. This mechanism may even be predominant compared to nitrogen assimilation by microalgae under certain conditions. The proportion of each of these processes may still be controlled by these parameters. These experiments have also provided insight into the interactions between microalgae and nitrifying bacteria and the predominance of algae genera depending on culture conditions. Microalgae are better competitors on phosphorus than nitrifying bacteria. Furthermore, in non-limiting phosphorus conditions, nitrification is reduced in proportion to algal productivity. Scenedesmus and Chlorella proved to be dominant respectively when phosphorus and light are limiting. The experimental trials were completed by the development or the adaptation of biokinetic models able to represent quite accurately microalgae growth and nitrogen removal. From this model, different configurations were simulated to design high rate algal pond and assess the feasibility of the algal culture to extract nutrients from digestate.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / The production of renewable energy and fertilizer, through anaerobic biodegradation (AnBio) of waste from pig farming, presents itself as a strategic solution to minimize the negative effects associated with the large volume of manure generated in a small production space. However, further studies should be conducted to improve the understanding on the process and propose improvements. In this sense, this work was divided into three stages. In the first stage, a study was conducted to evaluate the changes that occur in organic matter and in organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) of the solid fraction of pig manure (PM) using anaerobic bench-top reactors as a function of seven hydraulic retention times (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 days of biodegradation) and compared with the raw manure. In the second stage, we developed a study of anaerobic co-digestion, in a semi-continuous reactor, using the PM and the industrial waste of tomato processing (WTP) at different mixing ratios, to improve the performance of digestion and establish the best ratio of the two substrates for the production of biogas and methane. The following proportions were used (% PM + % WTP): 10% + 90%, 20% + 80%, 30% + 70%, 50% + 50% and 40% + 60%. In the third stage, there was an innovative study to recover the N present in the digestate generated after AnBio, using semipermeable membranes made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) submerged in the material. This system consists of forcing the volatilization of N present in the digestate in the form of NH3 and then recover it in an acid solution of 1N H2SO4 flowing through the inside of the PTFE membrane. The N is recovered as the ammonium ion (NH4+), with potential for being used as fertilizer. Besides the digestate, raw pig manure (RPM) was used to compare the N recovery potential of both materials. The accumulation of the NH4+ formed was determined at nine sampling times (0, 7, 20, 30, 44, 54, 70, 79 and 93 hours). Based on the results obtained in the first stage, it was concluded that, during the digestion process, the organic matter of higher lability, represented by the carbon of the fulvic acid fraction and carbon oxidizable with 2.5 mL of H2SO4, was partially consumed, promoting the accumulation of recalcitrant organic matter at the end of the process. The contents of organic N and NH4+ reduced respectively by 45.2% and 54.2%, compared with their initial contents in the RPM, probably due to loss by volatilization. The P content reduced by 41.25% in relation to the initial content, due to the chemical precipitation of the inorganic fraction extractable in water with metallic cations within the reactor. In the case of co-digestion, increasing PM proportion to up to 30% of the feed mixture led to the maximum daily production of biogas (175 L) and the largest proportion of methane (60%). Amounts above 30% of manure in the mixture reduced biogas and methane production due to the increase of free NH3 concentration (272 mg L-1), which is toxic to most methanogens. As regards the recovery of N using PTFE membranes, it was observed that the recovery efficiency of the digestate was 12% higher compared with that observed in the RPM. Quantitatively, 4555 mg NH4+ could be recovered from the digestate in 93 hours of experiment, which can be used later as a source of N to agricultural crops. / A produÃÃo de energia renovÃvel e fertilizante, atravÃs da biodegradaÃÃo anaerÃbia (BioAn) dos dejetos da suinocultura, apresenta-se como uma soluÃÃo estratÃgica para minimizar os efeitos negativos associados ao grande volume de dejeto gerado em um reduzido espaÃo de produÃÃo. Contudo, mais estudos devem ser realizados para melhorar o entendimento do processo e propor melhorias. Nesse sentido, realizou-se este trabalho que foi dividido em trÃs etapas. Na primeira, foi realizado um estudo com o objetivo de avaliar as mudanÃas que ocorrem na matÃria orgÃnica e nas formas orgÃnicas e inorgÃnicas de nitrogÃnio (N) e fÃsforo (P) da fraÃÃo sÃlida do dejeto suÃno (DS), utilizando reatores anaerÃbios de bancada, em funÃÃo de sete tempos de retenÃÃo hidrÃulica (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 e 49 dias de biodegradaÃÃo) e comparados com o dejeto nÃo degradado. Na segunda etapa, desenvolveu-se um estudo de co-digestÃo anaerÃbia, em um reator semicontÃnuo, utilizando o DS e o resÃduo da indÃstria do processamento do tomate (RPT) em diferentes proporÃÃes de mistura, visando melhorar o desempenho da biodegradaÃÃo e estabelecer a melhor proporÃÃo dos dois substratos para a produÃÃo de biogÃs e metano. Utilizaram-se as seguintes proporÃÃes (% de DS + % de RPT): 10% + 90%, 20% + 80%, 30% + 70%, 50% + 50% e 60% + 40%. Na terceira etapa, realizou-se um estudo inovador visando recuperar o N presente no digestato gerado apÃs a biodegradaÃÃo, utilizando membranas semipermeÃveis de politetrafluoroetileno expandido (PTFE) submersas no material. Esse sistema consistiu em forÃar a volatilizaÃÃo do N presente no digestato na forma de NH3 e, posteriormente, recuperÃ-lo em uma soluÃÃo Ãcida de H2SO4 1N que circulava pelo interior da membrana de PTFE. O N foi recuperado na forma do Ãon amÃnio (NH4+), com potencial para ser utilizado como fertilizante. Utilizou-se alÃm do digestato, DS nÃo degradado, para comparaÃÃo do potencial de recuperaÃÃo de N dos dois materiais. A determinaÃÃo do acÃmulo de NH4+ formado foi realizada em nove tempos de amostragem (0, 7, 20, 30, 44, 54, 70, 79 e 93 horas). Com base nos resultados obtidos na etapa 1, concluiu-se que durante a biodegradaÃÃo, a matÃria orgÃnica de maior labilidade, representada pelo carbono da fraÃÃo Ãcido fÃlvico e carbono oxidÃvel com 2,5 mL de H2SO4, foi parcialmente consumida, promovendo o acÃmulo de matÃria orgÃnica recalcitrante no final do processo. Os conteÃdos de N orgÃnico e NH4+ reduziram respectivamente, 45,2% e 54,2% em relaÃÃo aos seus conteÃdos iniciais no dejeto nÃo degradado, devido, provavelmente, a perda por volatilizaÃÃo. O conteÃdo de P reduziu 41,25% em relaÃÃo ao seu conteÃdo inicial, devido à precipitaÃÃo quÃmica da fraÃÃo inorgÃnica extraÃvel em Ãgua com cÃtions metÃlicos no interior do reator. No caso da co-digestÃo, o aumento da proporÃÃo do DS atà o limite de 30% da mistura de alimentaÃÃo, proporcionou a mÃxima produÃÃo diÃria de biogÃs (175 L) e a maior proporÃÃo de metano (60%). Quantidades superiores a 30% de dejeto na mistura, reduziram a produÃÃo de biogÃs e metano devido ao aumento da concentraÃÃo de NH3 Livre (272 mg L-1) tÃxico a maioria dos microrganismos metanogÃnicos. No que se refere à recuperaÃÃo do N utilizando as membranas de PTFE, observou-se que a eficiÃncia de recuperaÃÃo no digestato foi superior em 12% em relaÃÃo ao observado no dejeto nÃo degradado. Em termos quantitativos, conseguiu-se recuperar 4555 mg de NH4+ proveniente do digestato durante 93 horas de experimento que poderÃ, posteriormente, ser utilizado como fonte de N para as culturas agrÃcolas.

During this master thesis, the possibility of ammonia removal from digestate in combination with after hygienization has been investigated. The aim of the work was to see how much ammonia that could be removed but also the properties of other process parameters such as TS/VS content, pH and alkalinity of the digestate. It was also of interest to study the energy balances for a process that combines ammonia stripping with after hygienization. The purpose of hygienization in a biogas plant is to kill pathogens. To study ammonia stripping combined with after hygienization, a prototype of an ammonia stripper was built in a laboratory. The digestate was heated to the hygienization temperature of 70 °C and air was led through with the help of a peristaltic pump by the end of the system. Condensate was trapped in a bottle by cooling the tube and the gases were brought to another bottle containing 1 M sulfuric acid. Ammonia and sulfuric acid reacted and formed ammonium sulfate. The process was also tested with closed system using vacuum to decrease the boiling point and thereby create more condensate. The results from the experiments showed that with an air stripping process most of the ammonium was trapped in the sulfuric acid while with a vacuum process more ammonium was trapped in the condensate. The most important parameters to achieve a good ammonia removal were air flow and time. With the vacuum system, more condensate was removed. The removal of condensate could make it possible to recirculate process fluid from the stripping process and thereby save energy in the centrifugation part which is used to create a solid part of the bio digestate. It was concluded from the experiments that air stripping is more effective when it comes to ammonium recovery. The process could be improved by using higher air flow which could decrease the time to less than one hour, which is the desired hygienization time. However, it is desired to keep the pump flow as low as possible since it is energy consuming. A chemical increase of the pH would also be of interest to try since previous tests showed a strong correlation between high pH-value and good ammonia stripping. More tests overall are of interest to ensure a reliable result. Still, the combination of after-hygienization and ammonia stripping would contribute to a better environment and a sustainable agriculture with a natural and nutritious digestate.

La digestion anaérobie est un processus biologique de transformation de la matière organique permettant la production d’énergie sous forme de biogaz et de fertilisant sous forme de digestat. C’est une filière émergente en France, dont les objectifs de développement sont ambitieux. Le développement d’une filière industrielle sur l’ensemble du territoire Français nécessite la mise en oeuvre d’outils d’aide à la décision.Dans le cadre de cette Thèse nous proposons d’évaluer le potentiel de développement de la méthanisation collective, territoriale et agricole par injection du biogaz dans les réseaux de gaz naturel. Les travaux de recherchent portent sur trois axes : (1)l’évaluation du potentiel de mobilisation de biomasse d’origine agricole ; (2) la conception et l’étude de la viabilité économique de « modèle type » d’usine de méthanisation ; (3) l’évaluation de la performance technico-économique d’une exploitation agricole ayant recours à la méthanisation dans but d’accroitre son autonomie face aux énergies fossiles et aux engrais chimiques.Sur le premier volet, nous avons réalisé une étude cartographique des gisements agricoles mobilisables. Nous avons localisé et quantifié les quantités de coproduits de cultures et d’effluents d’élevage présent sur le territoire Français. Nous avons mis en évidence que le potentiel de mobilisation de biomasse agricole est de l’ordre de 57millions de tonnes de matière sèche. Ceci correspond à une production énergétique maximale de l’ordre de 158 TWh/an.Sur le deuxième volet, nous avons conçu des « modèles types » d’usines de méthanisation de différentes tailles, dont le biogaz est valorisé en biométhane par injection dans le réseau. Pour chacun des « modèles types » nous avons comparé la viabilité technico-économiques des modèles selon différentes « recettes » de biomasse. L’évaluation met en avant que pour chaque « modèle type », il existe un nombre limité de « recettes » permettant à chacun d’entre eux de trouver un équilibre technico-économique.Sur le troisième volet, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’autonomie azote et carburant que pourrait atteindre une exploitation agricole en méthanisant des cultures énergétiques dédiées de légumineuse. L’évaluation a été menée sur des fermes présentant des configurations différentes d’assolement et de rendement. Nous avons mis en évidence les conditions nécessaires pour que chaque configuration de ferme puisse atteindre l’autonomie. Il en ressort que dans certaines conditions, une exploitation « autonome » présente des marges brutes supérieures à celle d’une exploitation conventionnelle. / Anaerobic digestion is a biological process of transformation of organicmatter allowing the production of energy in the form of biogas and fertilizer in the formof digestate. It is an emerging sector in France, whose development objectives are ambitious. The development of an industrial sector throughout the French territory requires the implementation of decision support tools.As part of this thesis, we propose to evaluate the development potential of collective,territorial and agricultural methanation by injecting biogas into natural gas networks.Research work focuses on three axes: (1) the evaluation of the biomass mobilization potential of agricultural origin; (2) the design and study of the economic viability of a"typical model" of methanation plant; (3) the evaluation of the technical and economic performance of a farm using methanation in order to increase its autonomy in the face of fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers.We first carried out a cartographic study of mobilizable agricultural deposits. The quantities of co-products of crops and livestock effluents present on the French territor ywere located and quantified. Thus, we have shown that the potential for mobilization of agricultural biomass is of the order of 57 million tons of dry matter. This corresponds to a maximum energy production of about 158 TWh / year.And second, we have designed "model models" of biogas plants of different sizes,whose biogas is valorized in biomethane by injection into the network. For each of the"standard models" we compared the techno-economic viability of the models according to different "recipes" of biomass. The evaluation points out that for each "standard model" there is a limited number of "recipes" allowing each of them to find a technoeconomic balance.Finally, we focused on the nitrogen and fuel autonomy that an agricultural operationcould achieve by methanising dedicated energy crops of legumes. The assessment was conducted on farms with different rotational and yield configurations. We have highlighted the conditions necessary for each farm configuration to achieve autonomy.It shows that under certain conditions, an "autonomous" farm has gross margins higher than that of a conventional farm.

La méthanisation est un procédé biologique au cours duquel la matière organique est convertie en un gaz riche en méthane (biogaz). Parmi les technologies industrielles, les procédés de digestion par voie sèche (taux de matière sèche supérieur à 15 %) sont de plus en plus utilisés car ils présentent des avantages concurrentiels important par rapport aux procédés classiques par voie humide. Cependant, la nature très pâteuse du milieu de digestion lui confère des propriétés mal connues et non étudiées (comportement rhéologique, équilibres, transferts, cinétiques biologiques). Cette thèse comporte deux axes de recherche : i) la nature des équilibres chimiques (sorption, diffusion) intervenant dans les milieux de digestion, ii) la mise en place et l’application d’un modèle cinétique adapté à l’étude des milieux secs. Sur le premier volet, nous avons mis en évidence que le transfert diffusionnel est fortement réduit avec l’augmentation de la teneur en matière sèche des milieux en absence d’agitation. Une des conséquences est l’importance du transfert liquide-gaz pour la production de biogaz. Sur le deuxième volet, nous avons développé un modèle cinétique dédié qui nous a permis, par comparaison avec l’expérience, de mieux cerner la variabilité de la cinétique en fonction de la teneur en matière sèche des milieux. Les répercussions de ce travail se situent aussi bien à l’échelle du laboratoire, en particulier pour l’exploitation des essais d’activité méthanogène, qu’à l’échelle industrielle, avec la nécessité de contrôler le taux de matière sèche des procédés pour une efficacité optimale, et d’adapter l’agitation à ce taux pour améliorer les rendements de dégradation. Le modèle développé pourra constituer une base pour le dimensionnement et la conduite des installations. / Anaerobic digestion is a biological process that converts organic matter into a methane rich gas (biogas). Among industrial technologies, dry processes (above 15 % total solid content) are more and more used because of their advantages in comparison with conventional wet processes. However, dry anaerobic digestion processes are poorly known and studied because of the “pasty” nature of digestion media (rheological behavior, equilibria, transfers, biological kinetics). This thesis focuses on two major aspects: i) the nature of the chemical equilibria (sorption, diffusion) involved in digestion media, ii) the establishment and application of a kinetic model adapted to dry media. We first demonstrated that the diffusional mass transfer is highly reduced with increasing total solid without any agitation. One of the consequences is the importance of the liquid-gas transfer for the production of biogas. Then, we have developed a dedicated kinetic model that enables to understand the variability of the kinetic with total solid content. The impacts of this work are both at the laboratory scale, especially for the operation of Specific Methanogenic Activity tests, and at industrial scale, with the need to control total solid content for optimal efficiency, and to adapt the agitation to improve degradation yields. The developed model can be useful for the design and operation of biomethanization facilities.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a process where elevated temperature and pressure is used in order to convert biomass to hydrochar, a coal-like substance with good dewatering properties and many potential uses. HTC can be used to treat digestate from anaerobic digestion, but the process water that remains after the hydrochar has been recovered needs to be treated further in the wastewater treatment plant. In order to make HTC more competitive compared to other sludge treatments it is important to find a good use for the process water. The main objective of this master thesis was to investigate the effects of recirculating HTC process water to the anaerobic digestion. To achieve the objective, both theoretical calculations and experimental trials were performed. The experimental trials were conducted with an Automatic Methane Potential Test System (AMPTS II) in order to investigate the anaerobic digestion in laboratory scale. In the first trial, three substrates, process water, hydrochar, and primary sludge were tested for their biochemical methane potential (BMP). All substrates were mixed with inoculum. Process water had a BMP of 335 ± 10 % NmL/gvs (normalized CH4 production in mL per g added VS (volatile solids)), hydrochar had BMP of 150 ± 5 % NmL/gvs, and primary sludge had a BMP of 343 ± 2 % NmL/gvs. The methane production was almost the same for process water as for primary sludge i.e. no inhibitory effects could be seen when process water was mixed with only inoculum. In the second trial, a more realistic scenario was tested where process water was co-digested with primary sludge at different ratios. The results from the second trial were not statistically reliable and therefore cannot be used on their own to determine with certainty if the process water could have an inhibitory effect in a full-scale anaerobic digester. However, the combined results from both trials indicate that it is unlikely that the process water would have an inhibitory effect. The possible increase in methane yield, if the digestate from a biogas facility was treated in full-scale implementation of the HTC process, was calculated theoretically. The produced process water would have the capacity to increase the methane production with approximately 10 % for a biogas facility. For the calculations, the BMP for process water was assumed to be 335 NmL/gvs and no synergetic effects was considered.

No description available.

Microalgae are a diverse group of oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms which show great promise as a source of biofuel. However, significant challenges still remain before microalgae can be considered a viable source of biofuel. The main current challenges are nutrient sourcing and recycling as well as downstream processing. The algal cell wall and especially the presence of an algaenan cell wall in some Chlorophyte algae could be an important variable in determining downstream processing costs but not much comparative research has been done to elucidate this. The first part of the present study focuses on the recently isolated alga Pseudochoricystis ellipsoidea (Trebouxiophyceae) and its improvement and assessment for biofuel production. Random mutagenesis and FACS screening protocols were developed for the isolation of pigment and cell wall mutants but despite considerable efforts no suitable mutants could be identified in the first half of this project. Two 500 L raceway ponds as well as an algal growth room and bubble column bioreactors were set up to facilitate algal research at the University of Bath and assess the performance of P. ellipsoidea in realistic culture conditions. P. ellipsoidea showed a maximum growth of 1.53 divisions day-1 in semi-open raceway ponds, resistance to contamination and a 30% lipid content, making it particularly suitable for raceway pond cultures. In the second part of this project six species of Chlorophyte (“green”) algae, three of which produced algaenan, were compared for suitability to growth in anaerobic digestate and municipal wastewater as well as cell wall strength, permeability and suitability to hydrothermal liquefaction. We found that anaerobic digestate was a good medium for the growth of all species independently of autoclaving and that non-autoclaved wastewater was a very challenging medium. Algaenan production did not affect cell disruption by ultrasonication but growth stage and cell wall thickness did. Lipid extraction kinetics by chloroform/methanol were greatly affected by algaenan, meaning that this material is relatively impermeable to organic solvents. Cell wall thickness, cell volume and lipid content also had an effect on lipid extraction kinetics but this was only measurable after 180 minutes of extraction. 8 Hydrothermal liquefaction showed high solid and low oil yields, very low sulphur (≤0.1 %) as well as a 1.1 % -1.8 % nitrogen content which is significantly lower than most algal HTL studies to date. This suggests that stationary stage algae are more difficult to process but give a cleaner biocrude and reduce the loss of nitrogen through incorporation in the oil. Significant opportunities for optimisation still exist in the HTL process.