Comparison between solar utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop and that of a stand-alone photovoltaic system

Alistair Borthwick; Qiang Jin; Lei Chen; Aimin Li; Fuqiang Lu; Chao Long; Aidang Shan

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2014.10.131

Comparison between solar utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop and that of a stand-alone photovoltaic system

Alistair Borthwick, Qiang Jin, Lei Chen, Aimin Li, Fuqiang Lu, Chao Long, Aidang Shan

School of Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study compared the solar energy utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop for energy efficient production of biogas with fertilizer recovery against that of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The comparison was made from the perspective of broad life cycle assessment, simultaneously taking exergy to be the functional unit. The results indicated that the bio-loop was more environmentally competitive than an equivalent stand-alone PV system, but had higher economic cost due to high energy consumption during the operational phase. To fix the problem, a patented, interior pressurization scheduling method was used to operate the bio-loop, with microalgae and aerobic bacterial placed together in the same reactor. As a result, the overall environmental impact and
total investment were respectively reduced by more than 75% and 84%, a vast improvement on the bio-loop.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	108-115
Journal	Bioresource technology
Volume	184
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2014.10.131
Publication status	Published - 2015

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title = "Comparison between solar utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop and that of a stand-alone photovoltaic system",

abstract = "This study compared the solar energy utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop for energy efficient production of biogas with fertilizer recovery against that of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The comparison was made from the perspective of broad life cycle assessment, simultaneously taking exergy to be the functional unit. The results indicated that the bio-loop was more environmentally competitive than an equivalent stand-alone PV system, but had higher economic cost due to high energy consumption during the operational phase. To fix the problem, a patented, interior pressurization scheduling method was used to operate the bio-loop, with microalgae and aerobic bacterial placed together in the same reactor. As a result, the overall environmental impact andtotal investment were respectively reduced by more than 75% and 84%, a vast improvement on the bio-loop.",

author = "Alistair Borthwick and Qiang Jin and Lei Chen and Aimin Li and Fuqiang Lu and Chao Long and Aidang Shan",

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T1 - Comparison between solar utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop and that of a stand-alone photovoltaic system

AU - Borthwick, Alistair

AU - Jin, Qiang

AU - Chen, Lei

AU - Li, Aimin

AU - Lu, Fuqiang

AU - Long, Chao

AU - Shan, Aidang

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - This study compared the solar energy utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop for energy efficient production of biogas with fertilizer recovery against that of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The comparison was made from the perspective of broad life cycle assessment, simultaneously taking exergy to be the functional unit. The results indicated that the bio-loop was more environmentally competitive than an equivalent stand-alone PV system, but had higher economic cost due to high energy consumption during the operational phase. To fix the problem, a patented, interior pressurization scheduling method was used to operate the bio-loop, with microalgae and aerobic bacterial placed together in the same reactor. As a result, the overall environmental impact andtotal investment were respectively reduced by more than 75% and 84%, a vast improvement on the bio-loop.

AB - This study compared the solar energy utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop for energy efficient production of biogas with fertilizer recovery against that of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The comparison was made from the perspective of broad life cycle assessment, simultaneously taking exergy to be the functional unit. The results indicated that the bio-loop was more environmentally competitive than an equivalent stand-alone PV system, but had higher economic cost due to high energy consumption during the operational phase. To fix the problem, a patented, interior pressurization scheduling method was used to operate the bio-loop, with microalgae and aerobic bacterial placed together in the same reactor. As a result, the overall environmental impact andtotal investment were respectively reduced by more than 75% and 84%, a vast improvement on the bio-loop.

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DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.10.131

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SP - 108

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JO - Bioresource technology

JF - Bioresource technology

ER -

Comparison between solar utilization of a closed microalgae-based bio-loop and that of a stand-alone photovoltaic system

Abstract

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