Sekuyiminyaka embalwa manje, kwenziwa ucwaningo nokuhlola microalgae ukuze zisetshenziswe ekwenzeni ama-biofuel. Lolu phenyo lusekelwe eqinisweni lokuthi ama-microalgae anezinzuzo ezimbalwa ngaphezu kwezinye izinto zokusetshenziswa zendabuko, njengezitshalo zemifino noma imfucuza yezolimo. Njengamanje, lawa ma-microalgae asetshenziselwa izinjongo ezihlukahlukene, njengasezimbonini zemithi noma zokudla, kodwa amandla awo njengomthombo wamandla abonakala ethembisa kakhulu.
Ama-Microalgae ama-microorganisms aneseli elilodwa ane-photoautotrophic anamandla okukhiqiza amandla i-photosynthesis futhi uhlanganise ama-biomolecules awo kusuka kumakhemikhali alula njenge amanzi y i-dióxido de carbono (CO2). Lokhu kwenza ama-microalgae abe yithuluzi elibalulekile hhayi kuphela ekukhiqizeni ama-biofuels, kodwa futhi nokunciphisa amagesi abamba ukushisa, ngoba amunca i-CO2 ngesikhathi sokukhula kwawo.
Ayini ama-microalgae futhi asebenza kanjani?
Ama-Microalgae ama-unicellular photosynthetic atholakala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zasemanzini. Izinhlobo ezingaba ngu-30.000 zaziwa, nakuba zingama-50 kuphela eziye zacwaningwa ngokujulile futhi zingaphansi kuka-10% ezisetshenziselwa ukuthengisa. Lokhu kushiya indawo enkulu yocwaningo ukuze kutholwe izinhlobo ezinezici ezisebenzayo zokukhiqiza ama-biofuels.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ama-microalgae anomjikelezo wokukhula ngokushesha okukhulu. Ngenkathi izitshalo zasemhlabeni zingathatha izinyanga ukukhula, ezinye izinhlobo ze-microalgae zingaphinda kabili ubukhulu bazo esikhathini esingamahora ambalwa. Lokhu kunikeza inzuzo yokuncintisana uma kuziwa ekukhiqizeni inani elikhulu le-biomass ezindaweni ezincane nangesikhathi esifushane, okubuye kwandise inzuzo yokusetshenziswa kwayo.
Izinzuzo ze-microalgae ekukhiqizeni ama-biofuels
- Ubuningi nokuhlukahluka emhlabeni: Ama-Microalgae maningi kakhulu futhi ahlukahlukene. Ikhono labo lokuzivumelanisa nezinhlobo ezahlukene zendawo, kokubili emanzini nasemhlabeni, libanika ukuguquguquka okukhulu kokulinywa ezimeni ezihlukahlukene. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uhla lwayo olubanzi lwezinhlobo zezilwane luvumela ukukhethwa kwalezo ezifanele kakhulu uhlobo ngalunye lwe-biofuel.
- Ukusebenza okuphezulu: Ama-Microalgae akhiqiza kakhulu ngokwe-biomass kunezitshalo ezijwayelekile ezisetshenziselwa ama-biofuels, njengommbila noma ubhontshisi wesoya. Akhiqiza i-biomass ephindwe izikhathi eziyi-100 endaweni ngayinye, okuguqulela ekubeni inani elikhulu le-biofuel ngehektha ngalinye.
- Abaqhudelani nezitshalo zokudla: Ngokungafani neminye imithombo yezitshalo yama-biofuels, ama-microalgae awadingi indawo yokulima evundile ukuze ikhule. Angathuthuka emanzini angcolile, saline noma ngisho nasemhlabeni ongafanele ukulima, okunciphisa umthelela wokuphepha kokudla.
- Ukusetshenziswa kwe-CO2 nomthelela ophansi kwezemvelo: Ama-Microalgae adla inani elikhulu le-CO2 ngesikhathi sokukhula kwawo. Lokhu akuzuzisi nje kuphela inqubo ye-photosynthesis, kodwa futhi kusiza ukunciphisa ukugcwala kwaleli gesi emkhathini, kube nesandla ekulweni nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu.
- Ukukhiqizwa kwama-compounds amaningi: Ama-Microalgae ayakwazi ukukhiqiza ama-lipids e-biodiesel, ama-carbohydrates e-bioethanol, namaprotheni angasetshenziswa njengokudla noma isengezo. Futhi, imikhiqizo yesibili enezicelo embonini yezemithi nezimonyo ingatholakala ku-biomass yayo.
Ukukhiqizwa kwe-biofuels kusuka ku-microalgae
Kunezinhlobo ezahlukene zama-biofuels angakhiqizwa ku-microalgae, ngayinye enezici ezithile eziwenza alungele izinhlobo ezahlukene zokusetshenziswa. Phakathi kwama-biofuels ajwayelekile kakhulu i-biodiesel, the bioethanol, the biogas futhi i i-biohydrogen. Ngayinye yalawa mafutha itholakala ezingxenyeni ezahlukene ze-microalgae, njengama-lipids nama-carbohydrate.
I-Biodiesel evela ku-microalgae
El i-biodiesel Ingenye yama-biofuel aziwa kakhulu futhi itholakala ikakhulukazi ku-lipids (amafutha) agcinwa yi-microalgae ngaphakathi. Ukuyikhiqiza, ama-lipids akhishwa kumaseli e-algae bese kulandela inqubo yamakhemikhali eyaziwa ngokuthi ukuguqulwa, eziguqula zibe i-methyl esters, ingxenye eyinhloko ye-biodiesel.
Inqubo yokukhipha iyabiza, kodwa ucwaningo lwamasu amasha okukhipha i-lipid kanye nokuthuthukiswa kolwelwe oluncane olunothiswe ngamafutha acid luthuthuka ngokushesha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, intuthuko ethile ekwelashweni kwe-algal biomass ezokhiqizwa biofuel baye bavumela ukusebenza kahle okukhulu ekutholeni i-biodiesel, ikakhulukazi ngokusebenzisa amasu anjengokuthi i-hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), ephatha i-biomass emanzi ngokucindezela okukhulu kanye nezinga lokushisa.
I-Bioethanol evela ku-microalgae
El bioethanol Itholakala ngokuvutshelwa kwama-carbohydrate agcinwe kuma-microalgae. Ngemuva kokwelashwa kwangaphambili kwe-biomass ukuhlukanisa ushukela, imvubelo namagciwane asetshenziselwa ukuguqula lawo ma-carbohydrate abe yi-ethanol. Nakuba le nqubo ifana naleyo esetshenziselwa ummbila noma umoba, ama-microalgae anenzuzo yokuthi awadingi izindawo ezinkulu zomhlaba noma umanyolo, futhi awancintisani nezitshalo ezihloselwe ukudliwa abantu.
I-Biogas evela ku-microalgae
El biogas Ngenye i-biofuel engakhiqizwa kusetshenziswa i-microalgae. Ngenqubo yokugaya ukudla okune-anaerobic, ama-carbohydrate nama-lipids akhona ku-algae ayabola lapho ungekho umoya-mpilo ukuze kukhiqizwe i-methane nesikhutha. Le biogas ingasetshenziswa ngendlela efanayo negesi yemvelo, evumela ukukhiqizwa kukagesi noma ukusetshenziswa ezinhlelweni zokufudumeza.
Ama-biofuels embonini nezokuthutha
Ngaphezu kokukhiqizwa kukagesi ovela ku-biogas, ama-biofuels atholakala ku-microalgae anezinhlelo zokusebenza ezibalulekile emikhakheni efana nezokuthutha kanye nezokundiza. Njengamanje, i-biodiesel ekhiqizwe ku-microalgae isaphenywa njengenye indlela esebenzayo yamafutha endiza yezentengiselwano, okungenye yemikhakha enzima kakhulu ukuqeda ikhabhoni. Yena i-biokerosene etholakala ku-microalgae ingaba yisixazululo esisebenzayo sokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-CO2 kulo mkhakha.
Izicelo nazo ziyafundwa ku ukukhiqizwa kwe-biopolymer, okungamapulasitiki abolayo akhiqizwa emikhiqizweni efana ne-glycerol etholwe phakathi nenqubo ye-lipid transesterification. Lokhu kungase kwengeze inani elingeziwe lezomnotho ekukhiqizeni ulwelwe oluncane, kubenze baqhudelane kakhulu nezinye izinto ezingavuthiwe ezisetshenziselwa ama-biofuels.
Izindleko zokukhiqiza zisaqhubeka nokuba yisithiyo esikhulu ekuthengisweni kwe-biofuel kusuka ku-microalgae, kodwa intuthuko yesayensi nezobuchwepheshe iphakamisa ikusasa elithembisayo lale mboni. Njengoba ukusebenza kahle kwenqubo yokutshala nokukhipha kuba ngcono, kanye nobuchwepheshe bokucwenga i-biofuel bupheleliswa, akungabazeki ukuthi ama-microalgae azozibeka njengomunye wemithombo eyinhloko yamandla avuselelekayo emhlabeni.
Kafushane, ulwelwe oluncane alugcini nje ngokuba nesithembiso mayelana nokukhiqizwa kwe-biofuel, kodwa futhi lunikeza isisombululo esimeme ukuze kuncishiswe izinkinga zamandla nezemvelo emphakathini wethu. Ikhono layo lokuzivumelanisa nezimo ezihlukahlukene, ukusebenza kwayo okuphezulu kanye namandla ayo okumunca i-CO2 kwenza ama-microalgae abe yinketho enhle kakhulu ekufuneni ezinye izindlela zamandla ahlanzekile nezisebenzayo.