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. 2014 Dec:173:448-451.
doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.09.072. Epub 2014 Sep 22.

Algal cell disruption using microbubbles to localize ultrasonic energy

Joel D Krehbiel  1 , Lance C Schideman  2 , Daniel A King  1 , Jonathan B Freund  3
Affiliations

Algal cell disruption using microbubbles to localize ultrasonic energy

Joel D Krehbiel et al. Bioresour Technol. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

Microbubbles were added to an algal solution with the goal of improving cell disruption efficiency and the net energy balance for algal biofuel production. Experimental results showed that disruption increases with increasing peak rarefaction ultrasound pressure over the range studied: 1.90 to 3.07 MPa. Additionally, ultrasound cell disruption increased by up to 58% by adding microbubbles, with peak disruption occurring in the range of 10(8)microbubbles/ml. The localization of energy in space and time provided by the bubbles improve efficiency: energy requirements for such a process were estimated to be one-fourth of the available heat of combustion of algal biomass and one-fifth of currently used cell disruption methods. This increase in energy efficiency could make microbubble enhanced ultrasound viable for bioenergy applications and is expected to integrate well with current cell harvesting methods based upon dissolved air flotation.

Keywords: Algal biofuel; Dissolved air flotation; Microbubble; Specific cell disruption energy; Ultrasound.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Change in cell disruption as a function of microbubble concentration at different ultrasound peak rarefactional pressures. The mean value and standard error of three to ten samples are plotted for each pressure and concentration.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Specific energy requirements of several different algal cell disruption techniques. The thick dashed line is the typical heat of combustion of algal biomass (Lee et al., 2013). Citations: * (Balasundaram and Pandit, 2001), † (Halim et al., 2012), ‡ (Lee et al., 2010).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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