Pilot facilities are demonstrated in UMore Park, Rosemount, Minnesota
A greenhouse based open-pond like algae production facility in operation in UMore Park (Rosemount, MN). The Facility has a water volume capacity of 20,000 liters. An anaerobic digester is co-located with the cultivation reactors to pretreat animal manure wastewater for algae cultivation. The facility was developed with support from LCCMR and IREE.
A mobile microwave assisted pyrolysis system housed in UMore Park (Rosemount, MN). The MAP system was developed with support from LCCMR, IREE, DOE/USDA BRDI program, and DOT Sungrants.
Center for Biorefining co-sponsors 2012 Sino-US Symposium on Eco-agriculture and Biomass Energy Industry
Center for Biorefining is hosting the Renewable Energy Session of the “2012 Sino-US Symposium on Eco-agriculture and Biomass Energy Industry”. The participants are mainly from faculty members of 12 Chinese universities. They will spend several days in California where they will attend the Eco-agriculture session and visit several CA universities. The delegation will spend three days in the Twin Cities. The Renewable Energy Session will feature speakers from IREE, BBE, AE, and local company on topics ranging from overview of renewable energy R&D at UMN, production and logistics of cellulosic and algal biomass, biomass conversion, biofuel production, wastes management and utilization, and techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis of renewable energy. A copy of the symposium agenda can be downloaded from here.
Mass Culture of Microalgae for Biofuels
The Center for Biorefining received $2 million funding from LCCMR, MN DOC, MCES, and IREE to support research on developing transferable technologies for mass culture of microalgae utilizing nutrients from wastewater and carbon source from flue gas for biofuel production. Harvested algae will be used as a biomass feedstock for biodiesel and other renewable energy production. The specific objectives of the project are to (1) test and develop photobioreactors (PBR), (2) study the growth characteristics of some collected algae strains, (3) evaluate and develop harvest and oil extract processes. Several PBRs were developed and studied. More than 30 strains were screened, and some of them were found to grow well on wastewater. A simple harvest technique was also developed. Production of high oil content microalgae for biodiesel fuel, coupled with wastewater treatment and flue gas emission control, provides significant environmental benefits and improves the economic feasibility of the whole approach.