Algae

CLI Holds Three Keys to Algae Viability

We have been a vital part of algae cultivation for 15 years and remain committed to furthering the algaculture industry.  Some of the biggest financial obstacles to algae’s success that remain are:

1. The cost of impervious membranes for raceway, support ponds and photo bioreactor systems underlayment and secondary containment system;

2. The cost of algae harvesting and dewatering;

3. Sourcing NPK nutrients that are now becoming scarce and pitting biofuels against foods.
   
   

CLI Has Millions Of Square Feet of Raceway Pond Experience

Membrane Liners for Algae Applications

We have significant experience in support of algae grown for both nutraceutical and biofuel applications. In 1994 we co-developed the first cost competitive UV resistant membrane liner used for raceway applications that proved to be hugely successful allowing a California Imperial Valley producer to expand into one of the world’s largest nutraceutical algae producers.  We remain committed to furthering advancements in membrane technology through industry collaboration and now offer an additional proprietary membrane liner engineered to be a cost competitive performer.  We are probably the most experienced provider of membrane liners used in algae applications.  We can offer more material options than any other provider and furnish installation services.  For nutraceutical and food grade algae applications we can provide potable water grade materials in compliance to US National Sanitation Foundation Standard 61 (or “NSF-61”).  For algae biomass to animal feed applications we can provide inert membranes in NSF-61 ratings or membranes with polymers that are impart nothing to water. 

For more on membrane liners for algae applications please contact Andre Harvey.

Algae Harvesting and Dewatering

We have collaborated with others to investigate the harvesting and de-watering of algae using a process called Electro Coagulation (or EC).  This process has been shown to cause rapid precipitation of algae suspended in water by changing it’s electrical charge.
With the algal mass stratified on the bottom layer, water decanting can be performed. If the algae specie has a specific gravity less than 1, the system would flocculate the biomass to the top of the solution.

The EC process actually kills the algae as well as up to more than 99% of bacteria (coliforms and E. coli for example). The fact that EC kills algae can also be useful in helping to contain GMO’s.  Electro coagulation uses anodes and cathodes.  Coagulation occurs at the anode and flocculation occurs at the cathode.  The process imparts iron ions into solution from the anode.  Otherwise the system is non-additive and will not compromise biomass for use as food.  This technology can also be use to pre-treat water used in algaculture or anaerobic digestion and/or to treat final effluent (or discharge water) from these processes.

From our research, we believe this technology to have economic benefit.  EC systems are available “off-the shelf”.

For more information about Electro Coagulation technology please contact Andre Harvey

Precipitated Algae

Anaerobic Digestion

The algaculture industry is quickly embracing the advantages of anaerobic digestion as a nutrient source for algae especially algae used as livestock feed whereby cattle can digest algal biomass with their ruminant digestive systems. Nitrogen Phosphorous and Potassium (or “NPK”) is a key nutrient source for cultivating algae.  NPK can be very costly and the demand is very competitive.  Anaerobic digestion can be used to recycle NPK from plants, animal and human wastes.  The process of digestion can provide liquefied effluent with minimized solids content as well as produce biogas which contains methane carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gas.  The hydrogen sulfide can be scrubbed from the biogas, and the biogas can be used as fuel for water heaters or generators to produce electricity for on-site use or often times sold into utility grids.  The exhaust from burning biogas has the potential of being used as a CO2 source for algae.  Carbon credits are available for covered anaerobic lagoons.  The marriage of anaerobic digestion to algaculture makes perfect sense.  We have significant design/build experience with anaerobic digestion systems and have been very successful with their implementation.  We work with anaerobic digestion lagoons versus plug flow digesters as the digestion process tends to be more complete with less energy input. It should be noted that pathogens can survive the anaerobic digestion process. Electro coagulation can be used to kill pathogens.

For more information about anaerobic digestion technology please contact Andre Harvey.

Click here to view an Anaerobic Digestion Project Profile

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