Abstract
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of macroalgae offers a promising route to advanced biofuel production, although the distinct biochemical compositions of different macroalgae species can lead to widely different product yields and compositions. On the basis of this, there is an implicit assumption that there exists a universal optimal feedstock species for a bioenergy-based biorefinery, which could be exploited across a wide region. However, no studies to date have examined the effect of this large geographical variation on a single macroalgae species for biofuel production. In this study, 24 samples of Ulva intestinalis were collected along 1200 km of Swedish coastline and assessed as a feedstock for HTL. Significant variation incomposition was observed between samples from Baltic and Atlantic regions, but substantial variation also existed between sites within close proximity. This was reflected in the HTL biocrude oil yields, which varied between 9 and 20% (14−28% dry and ash-free basis) across the sample set. In a number of cases, greater variation was seen for adjacent sites than for sites at oppositeends of the sampling spectrum. Biocrude oil yields in this study also differed substantially from those previously obtained for U.intestinalis from the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Localized environmental conditions affected the HTL product composition significantly, in particular, the elemental distribution within the sample set. The variability observed in this study suggests that no single species will be dominant within a macroalgal biorefinery concept, but rather a species would need to be selected tomatch the needs of the exact local environment
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 368-378 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Energy & Fuels |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 27 Aug 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 16 Jan 2020 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemical Engineering(all)
- Fuel Technology
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
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Chris Chuck
- Department of Chemical Engineering - Professor
- Reaction and Catalysis Engineering research unit (RaCE)
- Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT)
- Water Innovation and Research Centre (WIRC)
- Centre for Bioengineering & Biomedical Technologies (CBio)
- EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (AAPS CDT)
Person: Research & Teaching, Core staff, Affiliate staff