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Biological Purification Processes for Biogas Using Algae Cultures: A Review

Received: 14 November 2014     Accepted: 19 November 2014     Published: 11 January 2015
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Abstract

Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy made from biological sources including algae, trees, or waste from agriculture, wood processing, food materials, and municipalities. Currently, the uses of renewable fuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas and hydrogen) are increased in the transport sector worldwide. From an environmental and resource-efficiency perspective biogas has several advantages in comparison to other biofuels. The main components of biogas are methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), but usually biogas also contains hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and other sulphur compounds, water, other trace gas compounds and other impurities. Purification and upgrading of the gas is necessary because purified biogas provides reductions in green house gas emissions as well as several other environmental benefits when used as a vehicle fuel. Reducing CO2 and H2S content will significantly improve the quality of biogas. Various technologies have been developed and available for biogas impurity removal; these include absorption by chemical solvents, physical absorption, cryogenic separation, membrane separation and biological or chemical methods. Since physiochemical methods of removal are expensive and environmentally hazardous, and biological processes are environmentally friendly and feasible. Furthermore, algae are abundant and omnipresent. Biogas purification using algae involved the use of algae’s photosynthetic ability in the removal of the impurities present in biogas. This review is aimed at presenting the algal characteristics, scientific approach, gather and clearly explain the main methods used to clean and purify biogas, increasing the calorific value of biogas and making this gas with characteristics closest as possible to natural gas through algae biological purification processes.

Published in International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy (Volume 4, Issue 1-1)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Applications in the Agricultural Field and Natural Resource Technology

DOI 10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14
Page(s) 20-32
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Algae, Biogas, Biological Purification, Renewable Energy

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  • APA Style

    Rameshprabu Ramaraj, Natthawud Dussadee. (2015). Biological Purification Processes for Biogas Using Algae Cultures: A Review. International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy, 4(1-1), 20-32. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14

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    Rameshprabu Ramaraj; Natthawud Dussadee. Biological Purification Processes for Biogas Using Algae Cultures: A Review. Int. J. Sustain. Green Energy 2015, 4(1-1), 20-32. doi: 10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14

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    AMA Style

    Rameshprabu Ramaraj, Natthawud Dussadee. Biological Purification Processes for Biogas Using Algae Cultures: A Review. Int J Sustain Green Energy. 2015;4(1-1):20-32. doi: 10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14,
      author = {Rameshprabu Ramaraj and Natthawud Dussadee},
      title = {Biological Purification Processes for Biogas Using Algae Cultures: A Review},
      journal = {International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1-1},
      pages = {20-32},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijrse.s.2015040101.14},
      abstract = {Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy made from biological sources including algae, trees, or waste from agriculture, wood processing, food materials, and municipalities. Currently, the uses of renewable fuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas and hydrogen) are increased in the transport sector worldwide. From an environmental and resource-efficiency perspective biogas has several advantages in comparison to other biofuels. The main components of biogas are methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), but usually biogas also contains hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and other sulphur compounds, water, other trace gas compounds and other impurities. Purification and upgrading of the gas is necessary because purified biogas provides reductions in green house gas emissions as well as several other environmental benefits when used as a vehicle fuel. Reducing CO2 and H2S content will significantly improve the quality of biogas. Various technologies have been developed and available for biogas impurity removal; these include absorption by chemical solvents, physical absorption, cryogenic separation, membrane separation and biological or chemical methods. Since physiochemical methods of removal are expensive and environmentally hazardous, and biological processes are environmentally friendly and feasible. Furthermore, algae are abundant and omnipresent. Biogas purification using algae involved the use of algae’s photosynthetic ability in the removal of the impurities present in biogas. This review is aimed at presenting the algal characteristics, scientific approach, gather and clearly explain the main methods used to clean and purify biogas, increasing the calorific value of biogas and making this gas with characteristics closest as possible to natural gas through algae biological purification processes.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
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    AU  - Rameshprabu Ramaraj
    AU  - Natthawud Dussadee
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    JF  - International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy
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    AB  - Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy made from biological sources including algae, trees, or waste from agriculture, wood processing, food materials, and municipalities. Currently, the uses of renewable fuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas and hydrogen) are increased in the transport sector worldwide. From an environmental and resource-efficiency perspective biogas has several advantages in comparison to other biofuels. The main components of biogas are methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), but usually biogas also contains hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and other sulphur compounds, water, other trace gas compounds and other impurities. Purification and upgrading of the gas is necessary because purified biogas provides reductions in green house gas emissions as well as several other environmental benefits when used as a vehicle fuel. Reducing CO2 and H2S content will significantly improve the quality of biogas. Various technologies have been developed and available for biogas impurity removal; these include absorption by chemical solvents, physical absorption, cryogenic separation, membrane separation and biological or chemical methods. Since physiochemical methods of removal are expensive and environmentally hazardous, and biological processes are environmentally friendly and feasible. Furthermore, algae are abundant and omnipresent. Biogas purification using algae involved the use of algae’s photosynthetic ability in the removal of the impurities present in biogas. This review is aimed at presenting the algal characteristics, scientific approach, gather and clearly explain the main methods used to clean and purify biogas, increasing the calorific value of biogas and making this gas with characteristics closest as possible to natural gas through algae biological purification processes.
    VL  - 4
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Author Information
  • School of Renewable Energy, Maejo University, Sansai, Chiang Mai-50290, Thailand

  • School of Renewable Energy, Maejo University, Sansai, Chiang Mai-50290, Thailand

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