Environmental and economic evaluation of algal-based biofuels through geographically resolved process and sustainability modeling
type: CreativeWork
description: Advanced algal renewable fuels have been the subject of extensive research during the last decades. Their advantages over conventional biofuel feedstocks position algal biomass as a promising feedstock for the development of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy. Despite recent technological improvements, techno-economic analyses (TEAs) show that algae-derived fuels fail to be cost-competitive with petroleum fuels. Moreover, results from life-cycle assessments (LCAs) indicate declining greenhouse gas emissions when compared to petroleum fuels, but their water, health and air pollution impacts are still uncertain. This is explained by the fact that most published TEAs and LCAs of algal systems are not supported by high-resolution models and can only provide average sustainability metrics based on results from restricted data sources. These assessments often lack the resolution to correctly analyze the temporal and regional variations of biomass yields which have a direct impact on TEA and LCA metrics. Based on the current state of the field, there is a critical need to develop dynamic models that can inform sustainability assessments and consequently assist decision-making and technology development. This first part of this research work focuses on establishing the foundations for spatially explicit and temporally resolved LCA and TEA by developing and validating models that capture the thermal and biological dynamics of open algal cultivation systems. The modeling work is heavily focused on providing accurate predictions of evaporation losses in open algae raceway ponds and investigating the effects of evaporation rates on pond temperatures and growth rates. To date, this is the first modeling effort focused on predicting the evaporation losses of open algal ponds at the commercial scale. The outputs from the thermal model are then used to inform a biological algae growth model that is validated with experimental data representing the current biomass productivity po…
abstract: Advanced algal renewable fuels have been the subject of extensive research during the last decades. Their advantages over conventional biofuel feedstocks position algal biomass as a promising feedstock for the development of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy. Despite recent technological improvements, techno-economic analyses (TEAs) show that algae-derived fuels fail to be cost-competitive with petroleum fuels. Moreover, results from life-cycle assessments (LCAs) indicate declining greenhouse gas emissions when compared to petroleum fuels, but their water, health and air pollution impacts are still uncertain. This is explained by the fact that most published TEAs and LCAs of algal systems are not supported by high-resolution models and can only provide average sustainability metrics based on results from restricted data sources. These assessments often lack the resolution to correctly analyze the temporal and regional variations of biomass yields which have a direct impact on TEA and LCA metrics. Based on the current state of the field, there is a critical need to develop dynamic models that can inform sustainability assessments and consequently assist decision-making and technology development. This first part of this research work focuses on establishing the foundations for spatially explicit and temporally resolved LCA and TEA by developing and validating models that capture the thermal and biological dynamics of open algal cultivation systems. The modeling work is heavily focused on providing accurate predictions of evaporation losses in open algae raceway ponds and investigating the effects of evaporation rates on pond temperatures and growth rates. To date, this is the first modeling effort focused on predicting the evaporation losses of open algal ponds at the commercial scale. The outputs from the thermal model are then used to inform a biological algae growth model that is validated with experimental data representing the current biomass productivity po…
author: Quiroz, David, author
author: Quinn, Jason C., advisor
author: Windom, Bret, committee member
author: Willson, Bryan, committee member
author: Reardon, Kenneth, committee member
language: eng
language: English
keywords: climate change, techno-economic, water footprint, life cycle assessment, biomass, transportation
date published: 2023
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:13:14Z
provider: Colorado State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Colorado State University. Libraries

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10217/236986

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.25675/3.02488