Clemens Posten

TL;DR: A review of second generation biodiesel production systems using microalgae can be found in this paper, where the main advantages of second-generation microalgal systems are that they: (1) have a higher photon conversion efficiency (as evidenced by increased biomass yields per hectare): (2) can be harvested batch-wise nearly all-year-round, providing a reliable and continuous supply of oil: (3) can utilize salt and waste water streams, thereby greatly reducing freshwater use: (4) can couple CO2-neutral fuel production with CO2 sequestration: (

TL;DR: This review gives an overview about present designs and the basic limiting factors which include light distribution to avoid saturation kinetics, mixing along the light gradient to make use of light/dark cycles, aeration and mass transfer along the vertical or horizontal main axis for carbon dioxide supply and oxygen removal and last but not least the energy demand necessary to fulfil these tasks.

TL;DR: To evaluate claims and provide an accurate analysis of the potential of microalgal biofuel systems, industrial feasibility studies and sensitivity analyses based on peer-reviewed data and industrial expertise are conducted.

TL;DR: With a growing number of recent analyses demonstrating that despite the hype, integrated microalgal production systems are conceptually sound and potentially sustainable given the available inputs, the research areas that are key to attaining economic reality and the future development of the industry are reviewed.

TL;DR: Research and development activities at present include fundamentals of algae strain improvement, reactor design and process integration, with auxiliary power requirements and specific reactor cost being addressed as most critical issues.