Chapter 9
Biofuels from Microalgae: Energy
and Exergy Analysis for the Biodiesel Case
Daissy Lorena Restrepo-Serna, Mariana Ortiz-Sánchez
and Carlos Ariel Cardona-Alzate
Abstract Nowadays, the microalgae have been gaining importance due to their
different applications in the biofuel, food, and pharmaceutical industries. One of the
applications that is commonly proposed for microalgae oil is the transformation into
biodiesel through transesterification. This biodiesel is a biofuel that present energy
yields similar to traditional diesel, generating an alternative to replace a fuel from
petrochemical origin. The objective of this work is to analyze deeply a process for
biodiesel production from microalgae oil. The process includes the cultivation,
harvesting, and extraction stages for the oil. In this case, the software Aspen Plus is
employed for simulation. From the results obtained (mass and energy balances), the
energy, exergy, and economic and environmental analysis of the process are carried
out through the development of different scenarios. Last allow to evaluate the
energy, economic and environmental viability of this type of processes. As a result,
this work shows the challenges to be overcome to make possible the real introduction of microalgae fuels.
Keywords Biodiesel Á Biofuel Á Microalgae Á Exergy analysis
Energy analysis
Overview
In the development of green processes, it is considered the biofuel synthesis as a
representative example. Due to the growing energetic demand, in especial for the
fossil fuels, the attention for generating new alternatives has increased (Quintero
et al. 2012). In last years, biodiesel has received a great interest by the scientific
community due that its use leads to the reduction in harmful emissions like carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particles like SO x that are responsible of greenhouse
effect (Gouveia and Oliveira 2009). Additionally, biodiesel is the only one biofuel
that can be used in a conventional diesel engine without needing great modifications.
D. L. Restrepo-Serna Á M. Ortiz-Sánchez Á C. A. Cardona-Alzate (&)
Chemical Engineering Department, National University of Colombia,
Manizales Campus, Km 07, Manizales, Colombia
e-mail: ccardonaal@unal.edu.co
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Energy from Microalgae, Green Energy
and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69093-3_9
181
Biofuels from Microalgae: Energy
and Exergy Analysis for the Biodiesel Case
Daissy Lorena Restrepo-Serna, Mariana Ortiz-Sánchez
and Carlos Ariel Cardona-Alzate
Abstract Nowadays, the microalgae have been gaining importance due to their
different applications in the biofuel, food, and pharmaceutical industries. One of the
applications that is commonly proposed for microalgae oil is the transformation into
biodiesel through transesterification. This biodiesel is a biofuel that present energy
yields similar to traditional diesel, generating an alternative to replace a fuel from
petrochemical origin. The objective of this work is to analyze deeply a process for
biodiesel production from microalgae oil. The process includes the cultivation,
harvesting, and extraction stages for the oil. In this case, the software Aspen Plus is
employed for simulation. From the results obtained (mass and energy balances), the
energy, exergy, and economic and environmental analysis of the process are carried
out through the development of different scenarios. Last allow to evaluate the
energy, economic and environmental viability of this type of processes. As a result,
this work shows the challenges to be overcome to make possible the real introduction of microalgae fuels.
Keywords Biodiesel Á Biofuel Á Microalgae Á Exergy analysis
Energy analysis
Overview
In the development of green processes, it is considered the biofuel synthesis as a
representative example. Due to the growing energetic demand, in especial for the
fossil fuels, the attention for generating new alternatives has increased (Quintero
et al. 2012). In last years, biodiesel has received a great interest by the scientific
community due that its use leads to the reduction in harmful emissions like carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particles like SO x that are responsible of greenhouse
effect (Gouveia and Oliveira 2009). Additionally, biodiesel is the only one biofuel
that can be used in a conventional diesel engine without needing great modifications.
D. L. Restrepo-Serna Á M. Ortiz-Sánchez Á C. A. Cardona-Alzate (&)
Chemical Engineering Department, National University of Colombia,
Manizales Campus, Km 07, Manizales, Colombia
e-mail: ccardonaal@unal.edu.co
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
E. Jacob-Lopes et al. (eds.), Energy from Microalgae, Green Energy
and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69093-3_9
181