Aquatic Species Program Review Proceedings of the March 1985 Principal Investigators Meeting
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SER IICP-231-2700 UC Category: 61c DE85Ol2137 Aquatic Species Program Review Proceedings of the March 1985 Principal Investigators Meeting 20 - 21 March 1985 Golden, CO June 1985 Prepared under Task No. 4513.10 FTP No. 513 Solar Energy Research Institute A Division of Midwest Research Institute 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy Contract No. DE-AC02-83CH10093 PREFACE This volume contains progress reports presented by the Aquatic Species Program subcontractors and SERl researchers at the SERl Aquatic Species Review held at SERI, March 20 and 2 1, 1985. These reports present and discuss research advances achieved by the program participants during the preceding year. The SERl Aquatic Species Program receives its funding through the Biomass Energy Technology Division of the Department of Energy (Beverly Berger, Director). --- Robins P. Mclntosh Aquatic Species Program Approved for SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction............................................................. 1 ---------------Species Screening and Characterization Selection of Desert Saline Microalgae for High Yields at Elevated Temperatures and Light Intensities and in SERI Standard Artificial Media (W. H. Thomas, D. L. R. Seibert, M. Alden, and P. Eldridge) ........... 5 Screening and Characterizing Oleaginous Microalgal Species from tha Southeastern United States (Mahasin G. Tadros) ................................................... 28 Production of Hydrocarbons by Micro-algae; Isolation and Characterization of New and Potentially Useful Algal Strains (Ralph A. Lewin) .................................................... 43 Collecting and Screening Microalgae from Shallow, Inland Saline Habitats (B. Barclay, N. Nagle, K. Terry, and P. Roessler) ..................... 52 --Applied Physiology Ultrastruct~~re Evaluation of Lipid Accumu1.at ion in Microalgae (Jean A. Solomon) ..................................................... 71 Chemical Profiles on Microalgae with Emphasis on Lipids (Thomas G. Tornabene and John R. Benemann) ............................ 83 The Energetics of Biomass and Lipid Production by Lipogenic Microalgae under Nitrogen Deprivation (S. Lien and P. Roessler) ............................................. 100 Photosynthetic Efficiency Enhancement in Modulated Light: Dependence on the Frequency of Modulation (K. Terry and S. Hock) .............................................. 119 Outdoor Cultivation Studies Production of Liquid Fuels and Chemicals by Microalgae (Joseph C. Welssman and Raymond P. Goebel) ............................ 141 Productivity Optimization of Saline Microalgae Grown in Outdoor Mass Culture (Edward A. Laws) ...................................................... 162 Studies with Marine Macroalgae: Saline Desert Water Cultivation and Effects of Environmental Stress on Proximate Composition (John H. Ryther, Thomas A. DeBusk, and James E. Peterson). ............ 179 Development of Outdoor Raceway for Prodvclng Oil-Rich Halotolerant Microalgae : An Introduction (Shoshana Arad--Coordinator) .......................................... 228 Development of Outdoor Raceway Capable of Yielding Oil-Rich Halotolerant Microalgae (Am2 en-Amotz) ....................................................... 230 Separation and Harvesting of Microalgae from Saline Media (G. Shelet, A. Sukenik, and Ew Sandbank) .............................. 244 Development of Outdoor System for Production of Lipid-Rfch Halotolerant Microalgae (S. Boussiba, A. Vonshak, 2. Cohen, A. Abeliovich, D. Kaplan, and A. ~ichmond).......................................................... 271 Technolo~yAnalysis and Design Fuel Production Options from Aquatic Species: Technical and Economic Considerations (~anlelA. Feinberg) .......................................... 291 Design, Fabrication, and Operation of Innovative Microalgae Culture Experiments for the Purpose of Producing Fuels (Aquaculture Associates, Inc.). ....................................... 312 Evaluation of Immobilized Cell Systems for the Production of Fuels from Microalgae (Marilyn J. ~ipin).................................................... 336 List of Attendees... ..................................................... 349 The worldwide energy shortage and Arab oil embargo of the early 1970s encouraged many nations to look for new sources of oil, electricity, and gas. Renewable resources such as biomass were often highlighted as a long-term solution to the energy problem because of their nondepletable, renewable nature. While the first biomass sources considered were the readily available ones such as corn or wood, it was apparent that new biomass sources should also be developed, among them aquatic species. The purpose of the Aquatic Species Program is to improve the productivity, conversion to fuels, and cost efficiency of aquatic plant culture technologies. The emphasis of the program is on developing a mass culture technology for cultivating oil-yielding micro- algae in the American Southwest. A technical and economic analysis indicated that such a concept would be feasible if (I) lipid yields from microalgae are improved, (2) there is sufficient sol ine water for large-scale development, and (3) microalgal lipids can be eonomically converted to conventional fuels. It was determined that fuels from micro- algal lipids presented better options than converting the microalgal biomass to either alcohols or methane. All lipids can potentially be catalytically converted to gasoline, or the fatty acids can be converted to substitute diesel fuels. The Southwest has the neces- sary low, flat, underutilized land, and carbon dioxide is available from either natural deposits or flue gas from industrial plants. The amount of saline water available will probably determine how much fuel can be produced from aquatic species, and this ques- tion should be answered during 1985. The largest constraint to this technology is the economical production of an oil-rich microalgal feedstock. In addressing this constraint, the Aquatic Species Program is con- centrating research on ( I) initially selecting the best species, (2) developing the best cul- ture and management methodologies, and (3) improving the most promising species. An improved screening program has allowed for more efficient selection of species. A total of 46 new, fast-growing strains were added to the program this year for further charac- terization and future improvement. Outdoor studies resulted in a 40% improvement in biomass yields. Annualized yields of 70 tons/ac/yr were sustained for one month in Hawaii. This is a 35% improvement from the previous year. Major cost reductions resulted from recycling culture media and reducing inputs of costly trace elements. The 1985 annual research review of the Aquatic Species Program was held March 20-2 1 at the Solar Energy Research Institute in Golden, Colorado. In attendance were 65 par- ticipants, which included 16 principal investigators and 5 advisers. The advisory ponel included Drs. Jack Myers, Ian Morris, Richard Radmer, Michael Neushul, and Robert Krauss. The agenda for the review was divided into four sections: species selection and charac- terization, appl ied physiological studies, outdoor mass cultivation, and systems design and analysis. Papers from these present at ions are included in these proceedings. Program advances were reported in the areas of species collection and selection, rnodu- lated light physiology, mass culture yields, harvesting of microalgae, mass culture facil- ity design and analysis, and assessments on fuel options from microalgae. SPECIES SCREENING AElD t2URACTERIZATION SELECTION OF DESERT SALINE MICROALGAE FOR HIGH YIELDS AT ELEVA TED TEMPERA TLTRES AND LIGHT INTENSITIES AXD IN SERI STANDARD ARTIFICIAL MEDIA W.H. Thomas, D .L.R.Seibert, M. Alden, and P. Eldridge Phytoplankton R.esources Group Institute of Marine Resources Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of Cdifornia, San Diego La Jolla, California 92093 ABSTRA CT This work continues and supplements that concerning cultural requirements, yields, and pho- tosynthetic efficiences of some desert saline microalgae reported in 1984. However, our selec- tion process has become more rigorous in that high temperatures and light intensities have been