Cost-effective, low thermo-chemo disperser pretreatment for biogas production potential of marine macroalgae Chaetomorpha antennina

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) 2018-11, Vol.163, p.533-545
• Main Authors: Tamilarasan, K., Kavitha, S., Selvam, Ammaiyappan, Rajesh Banu, J., Yeom, Ick Tae, Nguyen, Dinh Duc, Saratale, Ganesh Dattatraya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Anaerobic fermentation; Biogas; Biopolymers; Chaetomorpha antennina; Cost analysis; Dispersion; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Fatty acids; Fermentation; Fuels; Lichens; Liquefaction; Macroalgae; Methane; Methane generation; Pretreatment; Solubilization; Thermochemical liquefaction; Volatile fatty acids
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.08.147

In this study, a novel attempt has been made to generate energy-efficient biomethane from marine macroalgae (Chaetomorpha antennina) by coupling thermochemical liquefaction with a disperser (thermo-chemo disperser (TCD) liquefaction). A temperature of (80 °C), pH 11 and disperser g-force of 1613 g were considered optimal parameters for effective solubilization and energy-efficient methane generation. This combinative liquefaction considerably reduced the treatment time and specific energy from 60 to 15 min and 6294 to 800 kJ/kg TS. The highest volatile fatty acids (VFA) accumulation of 890 mg/L was recorded in TCD compared to a thermo disperser (TD) (750 mg/L) and disperser (D) (322 mg/L) during anaerobic fermentation. TCD enhances the methane production potential of macroalgal biomass and a higher methane production of 215 mL/g VS was achieved for TCD compared to TD (149 mL/g VS) and D samples (100 mL/g VS), respectively. Cost analysis confirmed the field applicability of TCD liquefaction with a net profit of 90 USD/ton of marine macroalgae. A high energy ratio of 1.5 was achieved with the proposed mode of pretreatment (TCD) compared to TD (0.95) and D (0.28) pretreatment. Therefore, C. antennina is considered a suitable feedstock for methane generation. •Thermo chemo disperser aided liquefaction enhance the disintegration efficiently.•Combined pretreatment had achieved higher liquefaction at 800 kJ/kg TS of energy.•Kinetic analysis explains that rate was improved in combined pretreatment.•Energy ratio of about 1.5 was achieved in thermo chemo disperser pretreatment.