Microalgae Cultivation in Open Ponds for Biodiesel Production

Microalgae are the most promising and renewable non-food-crop-based renewable source of oil. It can be a suitable alternative feedstock for next generation biofuels because certain high amounts of oil, which could be extracted, processed and refined to transportation fuels using currently available technology. Algae harvesting in waste water maybe a significant advance towards reduction in constraints on economic viability. The algal strain T. wisconsinensis was collected and inoculated with the industrial effluent. The characteristics of microalgae were studied under lab conditions and scaled to pilot level in raceway pond. After harvesting the biomass the extraction of lipid was carried out using Bligh and Dyer method and the biodiesel yield of about 28 per cent of was obtained. The biodiesel was characterized by specific gravity 0.054, Density 0.9 Kg/l, Fire point 98°C, Flash point 86°C and Kinematic viscosity 1.52 cSt at 40°C.