SBIR Phase II: Electroconcentration, Separation, and Rupture of Bioalgae for Fuel Production

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the need for innovative approaches to harvesting oil from bio-algae, specifically to dewater the bio-algae and recycle the processed algae stream for reuse. The subject innovation will facilitate the development of an economical alternative to current technologies, and result in a more favorable application of bio-fuels to the marketplace. Current dewatering technologies (e.g., centrifugation and chemical flocculation) are energy intensive and require chemical additives that can contaminate the oil, resulting in prohibitively high costs to concentrate bio-algae for fuel production. The Phase II program objective is to develop, scale up and integrate the FARADAYIC ElectroConcentration and ElectroFlotation Processes with Harvesting, Dewatering and Drying (HDD) technology being developed by our strategic partner, Algaeventure Systems (AVS), to quickly and efficiently dewater bio-algae. The broader impacts of this research are in the energy and cost savings that will result from the innovative dewatering process. This technology will enable a cost effective, energy efficient, nearly carbon-neutral source of bio-fuel that does not compete with food crops. Bio-fuel technology is anticipated to have a significant environmental impact by greatly reducing carbon dioxide emissions (e.g. from power plants) by storing the carbon dioxide as lipids. This technology would find applicability in other areas of the algae cultivation industry (bio-plastics, dyes, pharmaceuticals, etc.) and also result in an improved understanding of electric field effects on algae concentration processes. Finally, this project provides opportunities for teachers and undergraduates to gain research experience through the NSF RET/REU programs.