Subterranean Photobioreactors for Commercial-Industrial Scale Algal Culture
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Scholars' Mine Doctoral Dissertations Student Theses and Dissertations Spring 2016 Subterranean photobioreactors for commercial-industrial scale algal culture Daniel James Vidt Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations Part of the Mining Engineering Commons Department: Mining Engineering Recommended Citation Vidt, Daniel James, "Subterranean photobioreactors for commercial-industrial scale algal culture" (2016). Doctoral Dissertations. 2493. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/2493 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SUBTERRANEAN PHOTOBIOREACTORS FOR COMMERCIAL- INDUSTRIAL SCALE ALGAL CULTURE by DANIEL JAMES VIDT A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in MINING ENGINEERING 2016 Approved by: Lana Alagha, Adviser Melanie Mormile Samuel Frimpong Kwame Awuah-Offei Dev Niyogi @ 2016 DANIEL JAMES VIDT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii ABSTRACT There are many potential benefits to the mining industry accruing from the application of algal biotechnology. The main benefits are in the production of biodiesel and in the remediation of mining brownfields. The research in this study was centered in the original idea that these brownfields represent a tremendous opportunity for use as a hybrid model for redevelopment into sustainable “mines” of biomass. The ability of these underground spaces serving as bioreactors to control all aspects of the growing environment, from lighting, to temperature, to biosecurity, are key advantages that have been identified in the literature. The many benefits inherent in sequestering the growth of phototrophic, halotolerant, eukaryotic, green microalgae within underground mining spaces mitigates many of the recognized shortcomings of current commercial-industrial models for algae culture. The singular challenge to the entire model was the effective production of light energy and fostering maximum photosynthetic efficiency within the microalgae. As a result, the focus on the experimental laboratory work concentrated on the development of tools and techniques for evaluation of different lighting regimes with an algae species chosen from a family with an industrial-commercial pedigree. The fundamental experimental work with the microalgae Dunaliella viridis revealed a novel and unforeseen aspect of experiments with monochromatic light sources. The results demonstrated surprising and potentially beneficial morphology changes as a result of the lighting treatments. Capitalization on these benefits in the proposed hybrid model were then examined in a collection of proposed future experiments, sustainability analysis, and fundamental economic analysis. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank Dr. Mariesa Crow and Dr. David Summers for launching my Ph.D. work with generous laboratory start-up support from the Missouri University of Science and Technologies’ Energy Research and Development Center. I am also extremely grateful for the stalwart support of my exceptional academic adviser Dr. Lana Alagha in helping me bring my degree to a successful conclusion. I know it was not an easy task to get me through, but you succeeded where many have failed and I thank you for giving me a chance. My co-adviser, Dr. Melanie Mormile, was another essential part of my success and who I cannot thank her enough for all of her help and support during my protracted stay in graduate school at MS&T. I was honored to have Dr. Kwame Awuah-Offei be a part of my committee. I hope I can one day be as knowledgeable and respected. Dr. Samuel Frimpong was a tremendous supporter on my committee and within the mining department. I heartily thank him for all of his help sustaining my dream of obtaining my Ph.D. and keeping the faith. I want to thank Dr. Dev Niyogi for his wonderful assistance and excellent contributions toward finishing my degree. Thanks to John Tyler for his engineering acumen as it was “instrumental” to the success of the project. A very special thanks to Bill Eads for going far above and beyond the call of duty in support of my work. I would also like to thank a few very special individuals from the Bigelow Labs and the CCMP in Booth Bay, ME: Dr. Bob Anderson, Dr. Nicole Poulton, and Julie Sexton. I would like to thank my wonderful wife for her support all of these years. Lastly, I would like to thank my Mom and Dad for their essential role in this momentous accomplishment. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .............................................................................................. x LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xv NOMENCLATURE ....................................................................................................... xvii SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF RESEARCH PROBLEM ............................................. 1 1.1.1. Mining Engineering Interest in Algae Biodiesel ............................. 1 1.1.2. Mining Engineering Interest in Algae for Remediation. ................. 2 1.1.3. Obstacles to Industrial Algae Development. ................................... 3 1.1.4. Description of Standard Algae Culture Models. .............................. 3 1.2. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM ................................................. 7 1.3. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF RESEARCH ............................................ 10 1.4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................. 11 1.5. SCIENTIFIC MERIT.................................................................................... 12 1.5.1. Novelty of Fundamental Phycology Research. .............................. 12 1.5.2. Implications for Development of Algae Industry. ......................... 15 1.5.3 Contributions to the Field of Mining Engineering. ......................... 16 1.6. STRUCTURE OF DISSERTATION ........................................................... 17 vi 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 20 2.1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 20 2.2. MINING AND ENERGY ............................................................................. 21 2.3. POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF BIODIESEL ON MINING OPERATIONS .. 23 2.3.1. Base Power Production. ................................................................. 25 2.3.2. Power for Mobile Equipment......................................................... 26 2.3.3. Benefits to the Working Environment. .......................................... 29 2.3.4. Biodiesel in Explosives for Resource Extraction. .......................... 32 2.3.5. Biodiesel in Mineral Processing. ................................................... 33 2.3.6. Disadvantages of Biodiesel in Mining Operations. ....................... 33 2.3.6.1. Problems with biodiesel in supply. ................................. 33 2.3.6.2. Disadvantages with biodiesel in operation. .................... 34 2.3.6.3. Potential negative impact of biodiesel on the working environment. .................................................................... 36 2.4. POTENTIAL FOR PHYCOREMEDIATION OF MINE INFLUENCED WATER. ........................................................................................................ 37 2.4.1. Metals Remediation of MIW. ........................................................ 39 2.4.1.1. Contrast ion exchange with algae bio-sorbents. ............. 39 2.4.1.2. Bacteria versus algae....................................................... 41 2.4.1.3. Algae metal sorption mechanisms. ................................. 42 2.4.2. Nitrate Removal from MIW........................................................... 45 2.4.3. AMD Remediation. ........................................................................ 47 2.4.4. Restoration of Soils. ....................................................................... 53 2.4.5. Mining Specific Issues with Employing Biotechnologies. ............ 54 vii 2.4.5.1. Concerns with the toxicity of flotation reagents. ............ 54 2.4.5.2. Concerns with toxicity of metals. ................................... 55 2.4.5.3. Concerns with acid. ......................................................... 56 2.4.5.4. Concerns with dissolved solids ....................................... 56 2.5. LIGHT EMITTING DIODE DEVELOPMENT .......................................... 57 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................................. 61 3.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 61 3.2. PHOTOTROPHIC MICROALGAE SELECTION .....................................