Bench-scale dehydration of a native microalgae culture by centrifugation, flocculation and filtration in Minamisoma city, Fukushima, Japan. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aramaki, Toru; Watanabe, Makoto M.; Nakajima, Mitsutoshi; Ichikawa, Sosaku
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology reports. Volume 10(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Native microalgae -- Bench scale -- Centrifugation -- Flocculation -- Filtration; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Biotransformation (Metabolism) -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Waste products as fuel -- Periodicals; Waste products as fuel; Organic wastes; Factory and trade waste; Biotransformation (Metabolism); Biomass energy; Agricultural wastes; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biteb.2020.100414
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2589-014X

Abstract

Abstract: Fukushima, northeastern Japan, was damaged by a tsunami and nuclear incident following the March 2011 earthquake. To make effective use of non-arable lands, an examination of biofuel production from native microalgal communities was carried out in Minamisoma city, Japan. After cultivation in open-air raceway ponds, the concentration of suspended solids (SS) of microalgae culture reaches 0.03 wt%. Efficient dehydration of microalgae is, therefore, essential. This study examined a bench-scale dehydration process composed of centrifugation, flocculation and filtration. A continuous centrifuge was used for primary concentration, and 14, 600 kg of algal culture was dehydrated. After centrifugation, a cationic trimethylamine-type polymer as flocculant was added to the primary concentrate, and mixed. The mixture was processed by a continuous vacuum filtration and compression, and 12.9 kg of concentrate was obtained with 82.7% recovery. Through this process, SS concentration reached a satisfactory value of 24.6 wt% with the high throughput of 5920 kg/h. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image Highlights: A bench-scale dehydration of a native microalgae polyculture was performed. Microalgae cultivated in a cool temperate zone were used for dehydration. Dehydration process consisted of centrifugation, flocculation and filtration. Microalgae culture with 0.03 wt% in SS conc. was concentrated up to 25 wt%. The throughput of the process was as high as 5920 kg/h.