Integrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass (2.6)1th Dec. 2011Francesco O m etto
Personal Profile
Environmental Engineering (BS and MSc)University of Padua – Italy, March 2010
Wastewater treatments- biological/chemical treatment- design of wastewater treatment plan
Solid waste management- classification- treatment facilities - design landfill
Francesco OmettoPadova, Veneto (North-East Italy)
Lifelong Learning Programme ErasmusFeb.-Sep. 2009
University of Padua - Cranfield University
MSc Thesis“Biological degradation of fats, oils and greases”
Personal Profile
Integrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass (2.6)1th Dec. 2011Francesco O m etto
Integrated process for biogas production from algal biomass (2.6)
Start date: 2 August 2010 End date: 2 August 2013
Project overview
Raffaella VillaLecturer in Bioprocess Technology
Centre for Energy and Resource Technology
School of Applied Sciences (SAS)Department of Environmental Science and Technology
In collaboration with a Stream EngD project:
Project overviewIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Bruce Jefferson Professor in Water Treatment Processes
Cranfield Water Science Institute
• Influence of wastewater algal species on theperformance of biogas production after nutrient removalin the anaerobic digestion (AD) process.
• Viability of an integrated process for producing algae fornutrient removal in a wastewater treatment system and,subsequently, using their biomass in digester to producebiogas.
• Complete training programme.
Project overviewIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
O bjectives
Algal biomass Harvesting
Feeding pre-
treatment
Anaerobic digestion
Wastewatertreatment
Wastewater
EnergyNutrients
Wastewater sludge
CO2
Project overviewIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Integrated process
Know ledge gapIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Only a few microalgae strains have been tested for wastewater treatment and biogas production
Native wastewater algae investigation required
Cambridge WWTP, Anglian Water
Algal sample to analyse and characterise
Know ledge gapIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
The harvesting process is expensive and make the global system not economically convenient
Economic Harvesting process
DAF - Dissolved Air FlottationBDAF - Ballasted Flottation (20% energy less) posiDAF (no coagulant, no contamination)
Increasing coagulant dose
Low energy harvesting technologiesIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Know ledge gapIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Algal membrane are very difficult to break; C/N ratio is a critical issue for AD;
Anaerobic digestion improvement
Cells breakage issueIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Scenedesmus obliquus before and after CAMBI pre-treatment
Improvement of soluble COD
after pre-treatment+58%
(optic microscope x40)
Algal anaerobic digestionIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
AD 20/80 sludge seed/algaeTherm al pre-treatm ent (8h@ 100ºC)
Biogas ml/gVS des
Biogas ml/gVS des
Methaneml/gVS desMethane
ml/gVS des
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Control C. Vulgaris C. Sorokiniana S. Obliquus
no pre-treatment pre-treatment 100C
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Control C. Vulgaris C. Sorokiniana S. Obliquus
no pre-treatment pre-treatment 100C
Algal biomass Harvesting
Feeding pre-
treatment
Anaerobic digestion
Wastewatertreatment
Wastewater
EnergyNutrients
Wastewater sludge
CO2
Project benefitsIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
•Application of new low energy technologies•Improve algal digestion efficiency•Make the integrated process more sustainable and energetically balanced
Personal developm ent -TrainingIntegrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Cranfield UniversityResearch Student Core Skills:
G etting started w ith research;M anaging your supervisor;Refw orks;Research m ethods in the literature review ;Interpreting and presenting data;Personal developm ent plan;Technical w riting skill w orkshop;Tim e m anagem ent;W orking safety w ith chem icals;
ATW ARMEnhanced technologies for w ater and w astew ater treatm ent;
ExternalAlgal cultivation/m aintenance techniques;CCAP-O ban Scotland
English class;W astew ater analyses;O il extraction from m icroalgae;
Personal developm ent Integrated process for biogas production from algal biom ass
Cranfield UniversitySep. ‘10 Internal m onthly sem inar SAS (presentation of research project)Jan. ‘11 STREAM project: algae bioreactors (presentation of research project)Nov. ‘11 Research Student Conference (poster)
ATW ARMQ UESTO R/ATW ARM m eetingsJul.‘11Sum m erschoolEssen (DE),(presentation “W aterand Christianityin Italy”)
ExternalNov. ‘11 UNESCO sem inar ,Venice (IT)Nov.‘11UniversityofPadua,Padua (IT)Sep. ‘12 International Conference on Engineering for W aste and Biom assValorisation,Porto (PT)
Thank you
“In life, there is nothing to fear and everything to understand.”Marie Curie (1867-1934)