University of Kentucky CAER-Duke Energy East Bend Algae Demonstration Project

Transcription

1 University of Kentucky CAER-Duke Energy East Bend Algae Demonstration Project Dr. Jack Groppo University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research Lexington, KY National Coal Council 2015 Annual Fall Meeting November 4-5, 2015

2 Project Timeline 2008 UK Approached by Kentucky Department of Energy Development and Independence to investigate the techno-economic feasibility of algae based CO 2 mitigation : Initial Demonstration Work started at EKPC s Dale Station 2012-Present: Demonstration Project at Duke Energy s East Bend Station 2011-Present: Part of US-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) August, 2015: NETL Biological CO 2 Utilization Award

3 Research Focus Areas Power Plant Integration PBR Design/Operation Dewatering Techno-economic modeling Utilization Utilization Focus Areas Bio-polymers Lipid Extraction Catalytic Upgrading HTL Pyrolysis Aquaculture Anaerobic Digestion

4 Overall Concept: CO 2 Utilization CO 2 as flue gas Cultivation in low cost PBR Flocculation/ Sedimentation Gravity Filtration Fuel Like Hydrocarbons Catalytic Upgrading of Lipids Bio-Plastics M.H. Wilson, J. Groppo, E. Santillan-Jimenez, M. Crocker et al., Appl. Petrochem. Res. 4 (2014) 41

5 Current Research Focus Continuous Dewatering Flow Chart of Process With Research Focus Areas Highlighted in Blue Solar modeling for optimum photobioreactor spacing 5

6 Field Demonstration Pilot algae facility at Duke Energy s East Bend Station in st generation UK photobioreactor (top) Primary PBR Components 3.5 d x 8 tall clear PET packaging tubes PVC pipe fittings Routine Areal productivity 0.25 g/l/day (summer) 0.10 g/l/day (winter) System Volume 18,000 L/5,000 gallons New cyclic flow photobioreactor deployed in 2014 (bottom) lower cost higher productivity more robust operation

7 Cyclic operation to reduce energy costs control biofilm formation Field Demonstration

8 Harvesting/Dewatering Flowsheet 0.4 g/l 0.04% solids <0.01 g/l <0.001 % solids Recycle to Feed Tank PRIMARY THICKENER 240 gallons UV STERILIZER HORIZONTAL FILTER/ SOLAR DRYER 2' x 8' 175 g/l 7.5% to 25% solids 20 to 30 g/l 2% to 3% solids 8

9 Prototype Gravity Filter/Solar Dryer Multifilament nylon media for rapid cake formation and high solids capture (>99%) Allows separation and recycling of all free water containing unused nutrients Short vacuum pulse after cake formation can improve throughput Can produce 10-25% solids for utilization Solar oven can reach 60 o C in summer During 9

10 Volume, liters 72.5 Harvest/Dewatering: Typical Results 50 Culture Density, g/l Thickener Feed Filter Feed Filter Cake Distribution of Water in Harvest Cycle 1.5% 0.6% 97.9% Thickener Overflow Filter Filtrate Filter Cake 10

11 5-May 8-May 11-May 14-May 17-May 20-May 23-May 26-May 29-May 1-Jun 4-Jun 7-Jun 10-Jun 13-Jun 16-Jun 19-Jun 22-Jun 25-Jun 28-Jun 1-Jul 4-Jul 7-Jul 10-Jul 13-Jul 16-Jul 19-Jul 22-Jul 25-Jul 28-Jul 31-Jul 3-Aug 6-Aug 9-Aug 12-Aug 15-Aug 18-Aug 21-Aug 24-Aug 27-Aug 30-Aug Aerial Productivity, g/m2/day Total PAR, µmol/m2/day x E9 System Productivity East Bend TBO May 5 - Aug Outage Outage Flue Gas Bottled CO2 PAR

12 Mass Balance Determination Reactor Measurements Temp, dissolved O 2, ph Flue Gas Measurements inlet and outlet streams MRU Flue Gas analyzers Temp, CO 2, O 2, NO x, SO x, CO, and CH 4. Data measured every 30 seconds and stored automatically.

13 Mass Balance Data Inlet % O 2 production CO 2 reduction Indicates CO 2 conversion to O 2 via photosynthesis. Highlights opportunity to optimize CO 2 conversion. Targeting 75%

14 Mass Balance Data: CO 2 PAR Temperature CO 2 Inlet CO 2 Outlet

15 SOx ppm and Temperature (⁰C) PAR (μmol/m^2 s) Mass Balance Data: SO x 5 Second Sparge /14/2015 0:00 9/16/2015 0:00 9/18/2015 0:00 9/20/2015 0: Tr SOX IN SOX OUT PAR

16 Algal Biomass Utilization 16

17 Algal Biomass Utilization Pathways

18 Current UK Concept for CO 2 Capture/Bio-product Production 18

19 Proposed Layout of a 3 Acre Photobioreactor Zhengzhou, China 57,600 tubes 265,000 gallons

20 How Big? 1 MW 500 MW Emissions tons CO 2 /MW 1 1 Emission rate tons CO 2 /day 24 CO 2 Capture tons CO 2 /day 9.6 tons CO 2 /ton algae tons algae/day 5.4 g/m 2 /day productivity g algae/day 139, x10 6 Land Required acres 35 17,287

21 Why Bother? CO 2 utilization can be revenue positive Bioplastics Biofuels While achieving 40% CO 2 capture is unreasonable Marginal CO 2 reductions can be achieved profitably Offset reduction requirements

22 Ongoing Collaborations Culture Adaptation Dr. Jennifer Stewart, University of Delaware Extremophiles Bioplastics Cyanidium merolae Dr. Pete Lammers AZ State University

23 Student Engagement Student involvement is an important focus of the project, leveraging creative problem solving and enthusiasm to solve real world research problems while developing the scientists and engineers of tomorrow. Student Employment / Experiential Learning Undergraduate Engineers, Scientists, and Architects contribute to day to day research activities Senior Design Projects CAER researchers act as customer/advisor to provide real world projects for student teams in Mechanical, Electrical, and Chemical Engineering Students get exposed to research and researchers at CAER get prototype equipment and/or models to aid research College of Design Studios Architecture and/or Interior Design students work on developing forward thinking designs, large scale instillations, next generation research facilities, and creative applications of current research Graduate Students / Postdocs

24 Acknowledgments KY Department of Energy Development and Independence Duke Energy Department of Energy: U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center The UK algae team: Dr. Mark Crocker Dr. Czarena Crofcheck Thomas Grubbs Stephanie Kesner Daniel Mohler Tonya Morgan Robert Pace Dr. Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez Aubrey Shea and.. ca. 30 students

25 Future Work Reduce Cost / Increase Productivity Optimized photobioreactor design and operation Batch continuous dewatering process Conceptual Design of System Integrated with Power Plant Mass and Energy Balances Power plant integration (heat, flue gas, etc.) Life Cycle Assessment Techno Economic Analysis Biomass Utilization / Valorization Focus on fuels/chemicals and biopoloymers Investigate alternative / multi-product utilization pathways Fate of NOx, SOx, heavy metals Systems Biology Power plant outage mitigation system Flue gas constituents on biomass composition Abiotic Parameter Optimization