DESIGN AND DEVELOP ALGAE BIOREACTOR FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION OF 1MW

Abstract

Biomass is being considered as a source for alternative and renewable fuels, such as hydrogen, and this is the reason extensive research is being carried out recently. Microalgae are one of the sources with huge potential. With high growth rates and a cultivation process known to be environmentally friendly, they are an ideal candidate for efficient production of hydrogen gas which is a clean energy provider. The objective of this thesis is to design a bioreactor capable of producing enough hydrogen gas to provide a net power output greater than 1 MW. For this purpose, a new and ever improving technology of steam gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor is utilized where algal biomass will be converted to syngas with high hydrogen content. This gas can be easily burned without extensive separation methods in a syngas gas turbine for the desired output of power. Extraction of hydrogen from microalgae provides us with a clean and renewable source of energy which can be scaled up according to industrial requirements.