Integrating Direct Air Carbon Capture and Microalgae-Based Bioenergy Production

Caceres Falla, Maria Camila

Integrating Direct Air Carbon Capture and Microalgae-Based Bioenergy Production

dc.contributor.advisor	De La Hoz Siegler, H.
dc.contributor.author	Caceres Falla, Maria Camila
dc.contributor.committeemember	Kibria, Md Golam
dc.contributor.committeemember	Nassar, Nashaat N.
dc.date	2020-06
dc.date.accessioned	2020-02-03T22:32:32Z
dc.date.available	2020-02-03T22:32:32Z
dc.date.issued	2020-01-31
dc.description.abstract	Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are one of the main causes of air pollution and global climate change; consequently, current research focuses on finding ways to reduce CO2 emissions or reusing them. Additionally, the increasing energy demand has provided the impetus for developing alternative energy sources; with an emphasis on renewables. Bioenergy from microalgae has captured the attention of researchers given that they efficiently convert CO2 directly captured from the air into energy. Extrapolating the concept of how algae obtain the carbon source to produce energy, this thesis main goal is to examine the feasibility of using direct air capture as a mean for replenishing CO2 supply in the medium used for microalgal cultivation, converting the CO2 harvested from the atmosphere into biomass at high pH and high alkalinity conditions. The proposed capture unit is a packed absorption column, and was studied both from an experimental and modeling point of view. The laboratory-scale unit was able to capture ~50% of the CO2 in the inlet stream using the spent algal cultivation medium. Experimental results were used to adjust model parameters and to further validate model predictions. After the experimental validation, this model was successfully used to design a unit that can meet the desired CO2 requirements for microalgal cultivation. The column specifications include design parameters, such as packing, and the overall column dimensions to fulfill the specified demand. The model is able to predict, with a 98% reliability, the column’s performance for variations in process conditions which include pH level, air temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration in the inlet. This model considers the actual rates of multicomponent mass transfer, heat transfer and chemical reactions which are taken into account simultaneously. Pressure drop along the absorption column was ~1% of the inlet pressure, which translates in reduced energy consumption. Water losses in the air capture unit were estimated to be under 1% of the water circulating in the system, which is significantly less than the water losses estimated for traditional open pond cultivation systems.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Caceres Falla, M. C. (2020). Integrating Direct Air Carbon Capture and Microalgae-Based Bioenergy Production (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/37551
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/111614
dc.publisher.faculty	Schulich School of Engineering	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Energy	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Chemical	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Environmental	en_US
dc.title	Integrating Direct Air Carbon Capture and Microalgae-Based Bioenergy Production	en_US
dc.type	master thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Engineering – Chemical & Petroleum	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US