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METHOD FOR CULTIVATION AND PRE-HARVESTING ALGAL BIOMASS WITH HIGH PRODUCTIVITY
WO17114989
Currently, the cultivation and harvesting of microalgae is the a method of obtaining biofuels that is attracting attention. Once microalgae are grown and harvested, the biomass can be converted into different value-added products such as biofuels in a clean, reproducible and sustainable manner by a sequence of chemical processes. In systems known to date, the cultivation of microalgae takes place generally in open ponds or in closed photobioreactors. However, despite the great interest and the advance in the cultivation of microalgae, there are still many challenges to be overcome before the cultivation of microalgae can become a viable technology for energy production and large-scale product manufacture. Researchers from the Universitat de València and Universitat Politècnica de Valencia have developed a new method for cultivation and harvesting of algae that significantly increases the efficacy compared to current methods. The developed method is an integrated system that allows a continuous and uninterrupted operation of the entire process (cultivation and harvesting), decreasing installation and operating costs.
Applications: The invention is applicable in the industrial scale production of algae biomass. This biomass could be used for one or more of the following applications: - as a CO2 sink; - as a raw material for industrial production of lipids, proteins and other value-added products associated with the food industry; - as raw material to produce biodiesel and bio-fertilizers; - as a carbon source in biogas production plants and - as sustainable treatment system for the recovery of the nutrients in the wastewater. Advantages: The method of the invention has the following advantages: - It allows the production of algal biomass in an efficient way, decreasing the associated production costs, reducing the energy consumption and thus, minimizing the environmental impact associated with such processes. - It is possible to maximize the recovery of nutrients if it is working with wastewater and to obtain a liquid stream with characteristics that enable its reuse. - The production of concentrated algal biomass that enables its further use as commercial products.