Conceptual Framework for the Production of Bioethanol and Byproducts from Microalgae Biomass
Quintero, V.
Valderrama, C.
Ortiz, D.
Kafarov, V.
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How to Cite

Quintero V., Valderrama C., Ortiz D., Kafarov V., 2016, Conceptual Framework for the Production of Bioethanol and Byproducts from Microalgae Biomass, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 49, 391-396.
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Abstract

Biofuel production from biomass is a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Biodiesel and bioethanol can be produced from lipids and carbohydrates of microalgae biomass, respectively. In this paper, a processing pathway from conceptual design process is proposed for liquid biofuels, to extract value-added products such as pigments and proteins from microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris). The process diagram consists of six main stages: vinasse anaerobic digestion, algae culture, biomass recovery, both bioethanol and biodiesel production. Simulations in ASPEN PLUS® software were performed in order to evaluate the mass and energy balances; heat integration using the Pinch Method was applied in order to minimize utilities consumption. 30 Ton/ h of vinasse were considered for treatment. Acid hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose was considered with a 96% performance and bioethanol production was carried out through a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, with a yield of 92.3% on the stage, 112 kg/h of ethanol, 28.5 kg/h of biodiesel, 126.5 kg/h of protein and 3 kg/h of glycerol were obtained by the process simulation.
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