Microbial Resources for Sustainable Energy

298 Pages·2016·6.29 MB·English

by  Basanta Kumara Behera

Basanta Kumara Behera · Ajit Varma
Microbial
Resources for
Sustainable
Energy
Microbial Resources for Sustainable Energy
ThiSisaFMBlankPage
Basanta Kumara Behera (cid:129) Ajit Varma
Microbial Resources
for Sustainable Energy
BasantaKumaraBehera AjitVarma
AmityInstituteofMicrobialTechnology AmityInstituteofMicrobialTechnology
AmityUniversityUttarPradesh AmityUniversityUttarPradesh
Noida,UttarPradesh Noida,UttarPradesh
India India
ISBN978-3-319-33776-0 ISBN978-3-319-33778-4 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-33778-4
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016940051
©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2016
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Foreword
“Nuclearpowerproducesnearly20%ofGermany’senergy,butinJuly2011(only
3monthsafterFukushima)theGermangovernmentvowedtoshutdownitsnuclear
capabilitywithin10years.Notjustthat,buttoreplaceitwithrenewableenergy,cut
greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, ensure
renewables contribute 80% of Germany’s energy by 2050, and ensure energy
consumptiondrops20%by2020and50%by2050.”Inthisconnection,Ibelieve
that this book would have immense contribution to bring awareness about the
potentialofmicrobestocontributegreenenergyintheformofbiogas,algaldiesel,
ethanol,hydrogen,anddirectelectricitytoovercomethepresentenergycrisistoa
certain significant magnitude. This piece of book contributes a comprehensive
review on the genesis of renewable green energy and its further development for
commercialization. This book will not only be helpful to technology and policy
worldsbutwillalsoappealtoabroaderaudience.Additionally,thisworkwouldbe
immenselyinspiringtoyoungerresearchersinfindingoutissuesanditssolutionto
meet local energy demands through sustainable microbial resources available in
andaroundaspecificlocation.Itisalsoamust-readpieceofworkforallyoungsters
who dream to find out solution for an eco-friendly sustainable environment by
introducingbetteroptionforalternativesourceofenergy.
Thisbookissystematizedinsuchawaytogivecomprehensiveandsystematic
knowledge on green energy to bring familiarity among readers on social accept-
abilityofdifferentoptionsonbiologicalrenewableenergy.Thelanguageisaimed
at a Popular Science level of technical exposition and is relatively easy to under-
standalthoughawidespectrumoftechnologiesaredepicted.Eachchapterincludes
anextensivelistofreferencestoassistthereaderinfindingsourcesandadditional
detailsofthereferenced.
Themostvitalpartofthisbookisthewayofdealingahighlydebatableissueon
energycrisisinamostconventionalmannerwiththeillustrationofimpressivefigures
and practicable data in tabular forms. Additionally, the book carefully addresses
these complexities for each energy policy topic presented. The book intentionally
avoids advocacy and tries best to be an honest broker to the readers to induce the
senseoftheirownconclusionsinspiteofvariousprosandconsofthebook.
v
vi Foreword
I am exceedingly proud the way the authors have worked out to draw interna-
tionalattentiononsustainabilityofmicrobeorigingreenenergyasanunavoidable
optionforalternateandcleanenergytoreducetheburdenofgreenhouseeffectand
alsoenergycrisis.
InstituteofMicrobiologyandWineResearch Prof.Dr.HelmutKoenig
JohannesGutenberg-University
Mainz,Germany
Preface
The security ofglobalenergysupplies is ingreatdilemma asoil and gas reserves
are under the direct control of a small group of nations, most of which are
considered politically unstable or have testy relationships with large consuming
countries.About80%oftheworld’soilreservesarelocatedinjustthreeregions:
Africa, RussiaandtheCaspianBasin,andthePersianGulf.Morethanhalfofthe
globalgasreservoirsarerestrictedtoonlythreecountries:Russia,Iran,andQatar.
So, any serious energy security decision should be free from foreign energy
sources. Due to uncertainty of Russian policy over natural gas supply in Europe,
newcoal-firedpowerstationsarebackonthepoliticalagenda.IntheUSA,home-
grownbiofuelshavebeenpromotedbysuccessiveadministrationsasanalternative
toMiddleEasternoilimports,despitebeingmoreexpensive.
At present, we depend on about 80% conventional energy for our immediate
needs. However, this scenario may change a little in due course of time without
drasticpolicychanges.Ontopofthis,energydemandisexpectedtogrowbyalmost
halfoverthenexttwodecades.Understandably,thisiscausingsomefearthatour
energy resources are starting to run out, with devastating consequences for the
globaleconomyandglobalqualityoflife.
Thepresentenergycrisisisnotduetosharpdownfallofnaturalenergyresources
asaresultofdrasticenergydemandbutbecauseweareusingitinthewrongway.
TheincreaseinglobaltemperatureismainlyduetoheavyaccumulationofCO in
2
spaceasaresultofburningfossilfuelsforenergy.Theefficacyofenergyindustry
usedtobejudgedbytwomajorcriteria:itscontributiontoenergysecurityandthe
costofenergydeliveredtotheconsumer.However,nowweareforcedtoincludea
third criteria related to emission of greenhouse gases, mainly CO into the atmo-
2
sphere.So,nowwefeeltheurgencyoffindingoutsuitablesolutiontoovercomethe
present energy crisis. At first instant, we have to reduce the use of fossil fuels in
order to have control over input of greenhouse gases into atmosphere. But coal is
widely used to generate electricity, in most of the countries (especially the USA,
China,andIndia)withoutcarboncaptureandstorage(CCS)technology.Itisright
timethatallthesedevelopingcountriesshouldmakeacommonpolicyforreducing
discharge of greenhouse gases to a marked quantity. However, at current rates of
vii
viii Preface
populationgrowthandwithcurrenttechnologies,thiswillbeimpossiblewithouta
global agreement to limit efflux of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Devel-
oped countries must shoulder the initial burden with an agreement for immediate
emission cuts. In return, the largest developing countries must agree to cut their
ownemissionsinthefuture,butonlyafterhavingachievedsomerecognizablelevel
ofeconomicdevelopment.
The immediate solution toget partial relief from the present energy crisis is to
findouteffectivestrategiestoencouragetheuseofalternatesourcesofrenewable
energyinordertolessentheburdenofgreenhousegases.Besidesvarioustypesof
nonconventional energy (Solar power, Hydro-electric power (Dams in Rivers),
Wind power, Tidal power, Ocean wave power, Geothermal power (heat from
deepundertheground),Oceanthermalpower,etc.),wehavealotofopportunities
tousesustainablemicrobialresourcesforgeneratingdifferentenergycarrierslike
hydrogen, ethanol, diesel directly from microalgae, macroalgae, Cyanobacteria,
andfermentativebacteria.Themostsignificantfactaboutmicrobialenergycarriers
istheirlesscarbondioxideemissionpropertycomparedtoconventionalliquidfuels
like petrol and diesel. In addition, abundant aquatic resources (both marine and
freshwater)aresustainablestorehouseofavarietyofmicro-andmacroalgaewhich
canbeultimatesourcesforgeneratinggreenenergy.
Biodieselissimpletouse,biodegradable,nontoxic,andessentiallyfreeofsulfur
andaromatics.Itcanbeusedinmostdieselengines,especiallynewerones,andemits
lessairpollutantsandgreenhousegasesotherthannitrogenoxides.It’ssafertohandle
andhasvirtuallythesameenergyefficiencyaspetroleumdiesel.Inaddition,ithas
lubricity benefits that fossil fuels do not. Biodiesel blends as low as B2 have been
foundtosignificantlyreducetheamountoftoxiccarbon-basedemissions.Microor-
ganisms like microalgae, bacillus, fungi and yeast are all available for biodiesel
production.Thepresentresearchhasalsorevealedthepossibilityofobtaininghydro-
genandelectricitydirectlyfrommicroalgaeandformativebacteria.Whenhydrogen
isburned,theonlyemissionitmakesiswatervapor,soakeyadvantageofhydrogenis
thatwhenburned,carbondioxide(CO )isnotproduced.Clearly,hydrogenislessofa
2
pollutantintheairbecauseitemitslittletailpipepollution.Hydrogenhasthepotential
torunafuel-cellenginewithgreaterefficiencyoveraninternalcombustionengine.
Thesameamountofhydrogenwilltakeafuel-cellcaratleasttwiceasfarasacar
runningongasoline.TheconceptofMicrobialFuelCells(MFCs)hasbroughthope
forusingvarioustypesofmicrobestogenerateelectricity,directly.
Thispieceofworkisorganizedtobringattentionofresearchers,teachers,students
and policymakers for considering microbial resources as sustainable storehouse of
natureandpleadsforitsbestuseasalternateformofnonconventionalenergy.
The first chapter narrates how green energy production begins with the photo-
synthetic fixation of CO into biomass and subsequent conversion of biomass by
2
using microbes as biological catalyst to produce biofuels like ethanol, methane,
hydrogen, and biodiesel, relatively free from hazardous gases like any oxide of
carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. In addition, it has also been explained how the
policymakersboostthenonconventionalbiofuelsbyimplementingspeciallawsto
Preface ix
enforcetheminautoindustries.Thishasbeennicelynarratedwithsomehistorical
factsandfigurestoconvincereadersthepositiveimpactofbiofuelsinpubliclife.
In the second chapter, the authors intend to describe updated information on
biogas production by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
Here, special attention has been paid to highlight commercialization of biogas
production technology to meet the challenge in solving rural energy crisis under
effectivemanagementprogram.Inaddition,technologyongenerationofelectricity
frombiogastosolvelocalizedenergyproblemhasalsobeennarratedindetail.
Depletionofnaturaloilanddieselresourceshascreatedanenormouschallengein
substitutingsuitableandeconomicfuelstomeetthedemandoflocomotiveengine
andcommunicationsystems.Inthisregard,theauthorshavegivenspecialemphasis
on explaining advanced process technology to obtain highly purified biogas to be
usedforcommercialpurposeandelectricitygeneration.So,inthethirdchapterthe
authorshavehighlightedabouttheproductionofbiodieselfrommicrobialbiomass
oncommercialleveltoreducetheloadonnaturalpetroleumandgasresources.
The most interesting part of this chapter is about direct production of ethanol
from microalgae without any biomass extraction process. This has been nicely
explained with well-illustrated figures and photographs to impress readers and
makethemrealizetheeffectiveuseofmicroalgaewiththeuseofnewtechnologies
beingdevelopedbyresearchersfromthefieldofindustrialbiotechnology.
Unlike biofuels, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are “Plug in and power” devices,
which convert energy harvested from redox reactions directly into bioelectricity.
MFCscanutilizelow-gradeorganiccarbons(fuels)inwastestreams.Theoxidation
of the fuel molecules requires biofilm catalysis. In recent years, MFCs have also
beenusedintheelectrolysismodetoproducebioproductsinlaboratorytests.MFC
research has intensified in the past decade and the maximum MFC power density
output has been increased greatly and many types of waste streams have been
tested. The fourth chapter has been completely devoted to latest aspects of MFC
technologyanditspossibilitytocommercialize.
Thelastchapterhasbeenorganizedtohighlighttheproductionofhydrogenfrom
microalgae and formative bacteria. Hydrogen (H ) is being explored as a fuel for
2
passengervehicles.Itcanbeusedinfuelcelltopowerelectricmotorsorburnedin
internal combustion engines (ICEs). It is an environment-friendly fuel that has the
potentialtodramaticallyreduceourdependenceonimportedoil,butseveralsignif-
icantchallengesmustbeovercomebeforeitcanbewidelyused.Hydrogenproduces
noairpollutantsorgreenhousegaseswhenusedinfuelcells;itproducesonlynitrogen
oxides(NOx)whenburnedinICEs.Theauthorshavetakenmaximuminteresttodraw
attentionofreadersbyillustratingimpressivemodelsontheproductionofhydrogen
byusingthevastmarineecosystemasgreenenergypowerstation.
Lastly, the authors want to extend thanks and are obliged to their respective
familymembersforshowingimmensepassionandextendingcooperationwhilethe
manuscriptwasunderpreparationstage.
March09,2016 BasantaKumaraBehera
Noida,India AjitVarma