Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access
ISSN: 2090-4541
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2090-4541
+44 1300 500008
Supatchalee Sophonthammaphat and Robert Edyvean
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Fundam Renewable Energy Appl
The global demand for biofuel is expected to increase in the coming decades. Microalgae are a new source of biomass
and biofuel components. Separating the algae from the growth media is a major problem in harvesting microalgae on
a large scale. Numerous studies have been completed to explore various approaches to harvesting microalgae. Development
of an efficient flocculation technology for microalgae may yield major cost and energy saving in large-scale production of
biomass. Although chemical flocculants promise to be a low cost method, they can also result in contamination of the biomass.
Bioflocculants, using natural polymers, have potential to be effective flocculants, combine with wastewater treatment and avoid
a contamination of the biomass with chemicals. The objective of this study is to investigate the use of chitosan as a bioflocculant
in the sedimentation process of a microalga (Chlorella vulgaris). Chitosan was tested at 0,25,50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350,
400 and 450 mg/L of algal suspension. Mixing time and speed (min-rpm) were varied: 1-120,5-120,5-150,5-200. The results
indicate that the chitosan dosing increased algal sedimentation to a highest settlement rate is around 200 mg/L at 5-200 minrpm
(381 NTU). Then, the sedimentation rate tends to decrease when the levels of chitosan are 250 mg/L or above. The highest
media solution clarify point (289 NTU) is 350 mg/L at 5-120 min-rpm and 450 mg/L at 1-120 rpm. pH changes around 7.8-
8.1 when chitosan is added. Different time, rapid speeds, chitosan dosages, and pH provide variations of settlement rate. It is
conclusion that the vary factors of these may affect algal aggregation and drowning.
Supatchalee Sophonthammaphat graduated in Environmental Science (B.Sc) from Silpakorn University in Thailand in 1996 and completed a bachelor degree in Law at
Thammasat University in 2003 and an MSc in Environmental Management at the National Institute of Development Administration in 2006 where she attained the highest
grade point averages in this field. At present, she is a Ph.D. student in Chemical and Biological Engineering, E-Futures Programme, The University of Sheffield, UK.