Main description:

This book reviews efforts to produce chemicals and fuels from forest and plant products, agricultural residues and more. Algae can potentially capture solar energy and atmospheric CO2; the book details needed research and legislative initiatives.

Feature:

Understand the nature and processes involved in Biorefinery design

Compare different algae production systems

See how its benefits relate to energy production

Delineate the costs and cost savings involved

Optimize medium use

Back cover:

Over the past century, the majority of chemical and energy needs of our industrial society has originated from fossilized carbon sources (coal, crude oil, natural gas). Increasingly, there is a realization that utilization of the fossilized carbon sources has adverse environmental consequences in the form of increasing concentration of greenhouse gases. We are also becoming aware of the limited nature of these resources. As a result, considerable efforts are being made to produce chemicals and fuels from renewable resources such as forest products, agricultural residues and plant products. All of these systems capture solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide as a part of the natural carbon cycle. Serious research efforts are also underway, targeting cultivation of photosynthetic autotrophic microbes for the production of biomass and lipids. In this category, algae appears to offer the most potential for capturing solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide and delivering sufficient quantities of biomass/lipids that can offset the fossilized carbon utilization in a meaningful manner without impacting food output adversely. However, several advances, both technologically as well as politically, are needed before we can realize its full potential. It is also clear that a biorefinery approach must be undertaken in order to harvest renewable energy and chemicals from algae economically.
This edited, multi-authored volume on Algal Biorefineries will document new advances involving algae-based technology.

Contents:

Bioreactors for Cultivation of Algae Chapter 1: Status of Algae as Vehicles for Commercial Production of Fuels and Chemicals Rakesh K. Bajpai, Mark E. Zappi, Stephen Dufreche & Ramalingam Subramaniam Chapter 2: Algal Reactor Design Based on Comprehensive Modeling of Light and Mixing Alexandra D. Holland & Joseph M. Dragavon Chapter 3: Low Cost Nutrients for Algae Cultivation Manjinger Singh & K.C. Das Chapter 4: Microalgae Bioreactors João C M Carvalho, Marcelo C. Matsudo, Raquel P. Bezerra, Lívia S. F. Camargo & Sunao Sato Chapter 5: Micro Algae in Open Raceways Ravi Kumar Ramanujan Chapter 6: High Density Outdoor Algae Culture Jiří Doucha & Karel Lívanský Algae Products Chapter 7: Mixotrophic Algae Cultivation for Energy Production and Other Applications Amarjeet Bassi, Priyanka Saxena & Ana-Maria Aguire Chapter 8: Engineering Photobiological H2-production Linda Vuorijoki, Pauli Kallio & Patrik R. Jones Chapter 9: Starch Overproduction by Means of Algae Vilém Zachleder & Irena Brányiková Chapter 10: Oil Overproduction by Means of Microalgae Pavel Přibyl, Vladislav Cepák & Vilém Zachleder Chapter 11: Commercial Products from Algae Kelly Hudek, Lawrence C. Davis, Jwan Ibbini & Larry Erickson Chapter 12: Recovery of Lipids from Algae Dheeban Chakravarthi Kannan & Vikram M Pattarkine