CO2 Capture of the Gas Emission, Using a Catalytic Converter and Airlift Bioreactors with the Microalga Scenedesmus dimorphus

Citlalli Adelaida Arroyo,Clementina Ramírez C.,José Luis Contreras,Beatriz Zeifert

doi:10.3390/app9163212

Citlalli Adelaida Arroyo, Clementina Ramírez C. + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app9163212

Copy DOI

Abstract

A process composed by a catalytic converter and three sequential Airlift photobioreactors containing the microalga Scenedesmus dimorphus was studied to capture CO2, NOx, and CO from emissions of a steam boiler which was burning diesel. The catalytic converter transformed to CO2 a maximum of 78% of the CO present in the combustion gas. The effects of shear rate, light intensity, and light/dark cycles on the biomass growth of the algae were studied. It was observed that at low shear rates (Re ≈ 3200), a high productivity of 0.29 gcel L−1 d−1 was obtained. When the microalga was exposed to 60.75 µmol·m−2·s−1 of intensity of light and a light/dark cycle of 16/8 h, a maximum productivity of 0.44 gcel L−1 d−1 and a maximum CO2 fixation rate 0.8 g CO2 L−1·d−1 were obtained. The maximum CO2 removal efficiency was 64.3%, and KLa for CO2 and O2 were 1.2 h−1 and 3.71 h−1 respectively.

Highlights

Electricity generation in Mexico has proven to be a significant source of air pollution at the national level [1]
Given the need to regulate the emissions of these gases, there is a wide variety of post-combustion treatments among which are the chemical absorption and biological fixation processes using microalgae [4,5,6]
The CO conversion of this catalytic converter was 78% when the converter reached a temperature of 170 ◦ C

Summary

Introduction

Electricity generation in Mexico has proven to be a significant source of air pollution at the national level [1]. The CO and NO can be burned catalytically to CO2 and NO2 , using a catalytic converter with noble metals or metal oxides as catalysts These converters are composed of ceramic materials in the form of a honeycomb coated with alumina where metals like platinum are supported as active sites and other oxides such as CeO2 , TiO2 , ZrO2 , SiO2 -Al2 O3 [8]. These converters can use the thermic energy of combustion gases to carry out the oxidation reactions [9]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion