Integrated Evaluation of Cost, Emissions, and Resource Potential for Algal Biofuels at the National Scale

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• 作者：Ryan E. Davis ; Daniel B. Fishman ; Edward D. Frank ; Michael C. Johnson ; Susanne B. Jones ; Christopher M. Kinchin ; Richard L. Skaggs ; Erik R. Venteris ; Mark S. Wigmosta
• 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology
• 出版年：2014
• 出版时间：May 20, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：48
• 期：10
• 页码：6035-6042
• 全文大小：450K
• 年卷期：v.48,no.10(May 20, 2014)
• ISSN：1520-5851

文摘

Costs, emissions, and resource availability were modeled for the production of 5 billion gallons yr^鈥? (5 BGY) of renewable diesel in the United States from Chlorella biomass by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). The HTL model utilized data from a continuous 1-L reactor including catalytic hydrothermal gasification of the aqueous phase, and catalytic hydrotreatment of the HTL oil. A biophysical algae growth model coupled with weather and pond simulations predicted biomass productivity from experimental growth parameters, allowing site-by-site and temporal prediction of biomass production. The 5 BGY scale required geographically and climatically distributed sites. Even though screening down to 5 BGY significantly reduced spatial and temporal variability, site-to-site, season-to-season, and interannual variations in productivity affected economic and environmental performance. Performance metrics based on annual average or peak productivity were inadequate; temporally and spatially explicit computations allowed more rigorous analysis of these dynamic systems. For example, 3-season operation with a winter shutdown was favored to avoid high greenhouse gas emissions, but economic performance was harmed by underutilized equipment during slow-growth periods. Thus, analysis of algal biofuel pathways must combine spatiotemporal resource assessment, economic analysis, and environmental analysis integrated over many sites when assessing national scale performance.