StudentGreenEnergyFund
FinalProjectReport
Date:Nov.22,2017
ProjectNameandcompletiondate:ReducingUSFCO2EmissionswithAlgae-Nov.20,2017
Teammembers:AhmetManisali,AlondraSoto,LaurenReilly,Prof.GeorgePhilippidis(PCGS)
Projectsummary,highlightsand lessons learned: (1)Summary:Thescopeof theprojectwastoassessthepotential ofmicroalgae cultivation on campus to reduce CO2 emissions at USF. Our findings show that, ifdeployed on campus, algae cultivation can contribute to lowering USF’s greenhouse gas emissions, whilegenerating material (cell mass) that can serve as natural fertilizer for use on the campus grounds. (2)Highlights:UsingthefreshwatermicroalgaChlorellavulgarisweinvestigatedwhetheragasmixtureof7.5%CO2+7.5%O2+85%N2,whichsimulatesthecompositionofthefluegasemittedbyUSF’snaturalgas-burningboilers,cansupportalgaecellgrowth. ThreesourcesofCO2weretested(each induplicate): (1)100%FlueGas;(2)50%FlueGas+50%AmbientAir;and(3)100%AmbientAir.Thedatashowedthatthe50%-50%mixresultedinthehighestproductivityof0.109g/L/day,thefluegasresultedin0.098g/L/day,andtheambientairresultedin0.072g/L/day.Hence,fluegascansupportstrongalgaegrowth.(3)Lessonlearned:AlgaecanindeedactasapromisingsinkforCO2emissions.
MeasurableOutcomes:Usingtherule-of-thumbthatapproximately2gofCO2areconsumedpergofalgaemassproduced,thedataindicatethatChlorellavulgariscultivationcanconsumeannuallyabout80gofCO2perliterofcultivation.Ifthecultivationsystemoncampuswerescaledupto3,300gal,itwouldpotentiallyremove1tonofCO2peryearfromUSF’semissions.Processoptimizationmayenhancethatfigure.
Detailhowfundswereutilizedincludingrebates(ifany)andcostsharing(cashorin-kindcontributions):Thefundswereusedtopurchase(1)algaecultivationchemicalsandsupplies;(2)compressedgasmixturetanks;(3)partsforexperimentalsetup;and(4)algaecellmassandwatercompositionalanalysis.In-kindcostmatchwasprovidedbyProf.Philippidisintheformoftimededicatedtodirectingtheprojectandmentoringthestudents(1hourpermonthofprojectexecution).
HowaretheprojectbenefitsbeingcommunicatedtotheUSFcommunity?AfterprojectcompletionthefindingswillbesharedwiththeSGEFCouncilandwillbecommunicatedtotheUSFcommunityviathePCGSwebsitetostimulatefurtherworkinthisarea.
Expectedprojectspin-offorupscaling:Thefeasibilityoffuturescale-upoftheprojectisunderconsiderationandwillinvolveclosecoordinationwithFacilities.
Includephotosoftheproject
Experimental setup used for algae cultivation on simulated flue gas with the freshwater algae Chlorellavulgaris.
