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This study investigated an algae/formate-utilizing-bacteria system that has been developed for carbon capture. This photomixotrophic consortium consumed formate to support bacterial growth so that the resulting respiration CO2 could be simultaneously used by algae to avoid CO2 gas-lipid mass transfer limitation. To understand biomass growth and population interactions in this unique system, a kinetic model has been developed to describe algae and bacteria multiplication, formate and nitrogen utilizations, CO2 mass transfer, O2 generation and consumption, lighting condition and shading effect. The simulation indicated that this ecosystem could form six types of interactions (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, neutralism, amensalism, and competition) depending on the light intensity and nutrient availability. The simulation of both batch culture and chemostat, along with parameter sensitivity tests and experimental observations, offered insights into optimal applications of algae-bacteria consortium based photobiorefinery.
Zhengyang Xiao; Yurui Zheng; Chinmayi R. Gudi; Yan Liu; Wei Liao; Yinjie J. Tang. Development of a kinetic model to describe six types of symbiotic interactions in a formate utilizing microalgae-bacteria cultivation system. Algal Research 2021, 58, 102372 .
AMA StyleZhengyang Xiao, Yurui Zheng, Chinmayi R. Gudi, Yan Liu, Wei Liao, Yinjie J. Tang. Development of a kinetic model to describe six types of symbiotic interactions in a formate utilizing microalgae-bacteria cultivation system. Algal Research. 2021; 58 ():102372.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhengyang Xiao; Yurui Zheng; Chinmayi R. Gudi; Yan Liu; Wei Liao; Yinjie J. Tang. 2021. "Development of a kinetic model to describe six types of symbiotic interactions in a formate utilizing microalgae-bacteria cultivation system." Algal Research 58, no. : 102372.
Anaerobic digestion of nitrogen-rich organic wastes as the sole feedstock does not only have low efficiency in methane production due to its inherent carbon deficiency (low carbon/nitrogen ratio) but also requires an acclimation period during the startup phase. This study investigated the effects of pyrogenic carbonaceous materials (PCMs), namely, activated carbon and biochar, on dynamic changes in anaerobic microbial diversity and corresponding digestion performance in anaerobic digestion of swine manure during the startup phase of the reactors. The results showed that both activated carbon and biochar changed the microbial communities and enhanced the microbial communities of Archaea, unclassified Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidetes, and YC-E6. Correspondingly, such changes stabilized the digestion of swine manure faster and significantly enhanced digestion performance. The digestion with activated carbon demonstrated better performance than the digestion with biochar due to the larger surface area of activated carbon. Maximum biogas productions were observed in the AD reactors containing 0.25% activated carbon (1134 mL/g VS loaded) and 1% biochar (655 mL/g VS loaded) under the conditions of 20-day HRT. The methane content of the biogas formed was 71% (v/v) in all AD reactors. The results showed that activated carbon and biochar have significant impacts on microbial communities, which help alleviate inhibition from H2S and ammonia and improve biogas production. Under longer hydraulic retention time (20 days), pyrogenic materials were also able to eliminate or shorten the startup phase that is typical for the anaerobic digestion without using an inoculum.
Meicai Xu; Sibel Uludag-Demirer; Di Fang; Lixiang Zhou; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. Effects of Pyrogenic Carbonaceous Materials on Anaerobic Digestion of a Nitrogen-Rich Organic Waste—Swine Manure. Energy & Fuels 2021, 35, 2282 -2292.
AMA StyleMeicai Xu, Sibel Uludag-Demirer, Di Fang, Lixiang Zhou, Yan Liu, Wei Liao. Effects of Pyrogenic Carbonaceous Materials on Anaerobic Digestion of a Nitrogen-Rich Organic Waste—Swine Manure. Energy & Fuels. 2021; 35 (3):2282-2292.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMeicai Xu; Sibel Uludag-Demirer; Di Fang; Lixiang Zhou; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. 2021. "Effects of Pyrogenic Carbonaceous Materials on Anaerobic Digestion of a Nitrogen-Rich Organic Waste—Swine Manure." Energy & Fuels 35, no. 3: 2282-2292.
This study conducted a detailed technical analysis of small-scale solar–bio-hybrid power generation systems using Rankine (steam turbine) and Brayton (gas turbine) cycles. Thermodynamic models were developed to characterize the state of working fluid and select the most suitable solar collection technology for individual power generation systems. Net capacity factor of power generation and utilization efficiencies of solar and biogas energy were used as parameters to evaluate energy generation and conclude the preferred system configuration. The analysis concluded that the steam turbine system has better global efficiency (67.7%) than the gas turbine system (55.7%), while the gas turbine system has better electricity generation efficiency (27.0%) than that (5.6%) of the steam turbine system. The effects of different climates on the selection of suitable hybrid systems were also investigated to delineate suitability and feasibility of different hybrid systems. In addition, the method used in this study can also be applied to investigate and optimize other small-scale hybrid renewable energy generation systems.
Mauricio Bustamante; Abraham Engeda; Wei Liao. Small-Scale Solar–Bio-Hybrid Power Generation Using Brayton and Rankine Cycles. Energies 2021, 14, 472 .
AMA StyleMauricio Bustamante, Abraham Engeda, Wei Liao. Small-Scale Solar–Bio-Hybrid Power Generation Using Brayton and Rankine Cycles. Energies. 2021; 14 (2):472.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMauricio Bustamante; Abraham Engeda; Wei Liao. 2021. "Small-Scale Solar–Bio-Hybrid Power Generation Using Brayton and Rankine Cycles." Energies 14, no. 2: 472.
A long-term culture of a selected freshwater microalgal assemblage on power plant flue gas was realized using a pilot-scale photobioreactor. Different culture conditions of light cycle, harvesting amount, pH stabilization, and sulfur addition were tested during a 12-month continuous operation at a natural gas fired power plant. The results concluded that the daily harvesting amount of 60% with no light-cycle and NH4NO3 as the nitrogen source and pH stabilization agent, resulted in optimal cultivation performance. Biomass concentration and biomass productivity reached 1.07 ± 0.23 g L−1 and 0.43 ± 0.14 g L−1 d−1, respectively. During the year-long cultivation period, the algal assemblage was relatively stable with average abundances of 88 ± 4% and 12 ± 4% for algae and bacteria, respectively, and no significant differences between individual case scenarios. The stable culture fostered a stable biomass composition. Protein, carbohydrate, and lipid contents of the algal biomass were 58.60 ± 2.41%, 19.5 ± 2.44%, and 9.70 ± 1.68%, respectively.
Ashley Cutshaw; Carly Daiek; Yurui Zheng; Henry Frost; Annaliese Marks; Douglas Clements; Sibel Uludag-Demirer; Nathan Verhanovitz; David Pavlik; William Clary; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. A long-term pilot-scale algal cultivation on power plant flue gas – Cultivation stability and biomass accumulation. Algal Research 2020, 52, 102115 .
AMA StyleAshley Cutshaw, Carly Daiek, Yurui Zheng, Henry Frost, Annaliese Marks, Douglas Clements, Sibel Uludag-Demirer, Nathan Verhanovitz, David Pavlik, William Clary, Yan Liu, Wei Liao. A long-term pilot-scale algal cultivation on power plant flue gas – Cultivation stability and biomass accumulation. Algal Research. 2020; 52 ():102115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAshley Cutshaw; Carly Daiek; Yurui Zheng; Henry Frost; Annaliese Marks; Douglas Clements; Sibel Uludag-Demirer; Nathan Verhanovitz; David Pavlik; William Clary; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. 2020. "A long-term pilot-scale algal cultivation on power plant flue gas – Cultivation stability and biomass accumulation." Algal Research 52, no. : 102115.
Quercus infectoria is one of the most abundant native oak species in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. This study focused on utilizing leaves of Quercus infectoria for ethanol production in the region. A typical three-step conversion process of acid pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and yeast fermentation was investigated to produce ethanol from the leaves. Under the selected acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis conditions, the glucose and xylose concentrations in the hydrolysates reached 11.4 g/L and 16.8 g/L, respectively, with the corresponding sugar conversions of 42.8% and 99.8%. A yeast strain, Kluyveromyces marxianus, was used to ferment mono-sugars in the hydrolysates for ethanol production. The ethanol production rate and conversion of K. marxianus in the fermentation were 0.17 g/L/h and 27%. The techno-economic analysis further concluded that a regional ethanol biorefinery can be established in the Zawita sub-district, Iraq to utilize Q. infectoria leaves to produce 200,000,000 kg ethanol/year with a positive energy balance of 745,052,623 MJ/year. The net annual revenue of the biorefinery is $123,692,804. The payback period of the biorefinery is 10 years.
Bawar Tahir; Xiaoqing Wang; Yuan Zhong; Hassan Mezori; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. Bioethanol Production From Leaves of Quercus Infectoria in Kurdistan Region. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleBawar Tahir, Xiaoqing Wang, Yuan Zhong, Hassan Mezori, Yan Liu, Wei Liao. Bioethanol Production From Leaves of Quercus Infectoria in Kurdistan Region. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBawar Tahir; Xiaoqing Wang; Yuan Zhong; Hassan Mezori; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. 2020. "Bioethanol Production From Leaves of Quercus Infectoria in Kurdistan Region." , no. : 1.
This study investigated the use of iron and aluminum and their combinations as electrodes to determine the technically sound and economically feasible electrochemical approach for the treatment of anaerobic digestion effluent. The results indicated that the use of iron as anode and cathode is the most suitable solution among different electrode combinations. The reduction of turbidity, total chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococci, and phages in the reclaimed water were 99%, 91%, 100%, 1.5 log, 1.7 log, 1.0 log, and 2.0 log, respectively. The economic assessment further concluded that the average treatment cost is $3 per 1000 L for a small-scale operation handling 3000 L wastewater/day. This study demonstrated that the electrocoagulation (EC) is a promising technique for the recovery and reclamation of water from anaerobic digestion effluent. Even though its energy consumption is higher and the nitrogen removal is insufficient compared to some conventional wastewater treatment technologies, there are several advantages of the EC treatment, such as short retention time, small footprint, no mixing, and gradual addition of coagulants. These features make EC technology applicable to be used alone or combined with other technologies for a wide range of wastewater treatment applications.
Sibel Uludag-Demirer; Nathan Olson; Rebecca Ives; Jean Pierre Nshimyimana; Cory A. Rusinek; Joan B. Rose; Wei Liao. Techno-Economic Analysis of Electrocoagulation on Water Reclamation and Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions of a High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2697 .
AMA StyleSibel Uludag-Demirer, Nathan Olson, Rebecca Ives, Jean Pierre Nshimyimana, Cory A. Rusinek, Joan B. Rose, Wei Liao. Techno-Economic Analysis of Electrocoagulation on Water Reclamation and Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions of a High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (7):2697.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSibel Uludag-Demirer; Nathan Olson; Rebecca Ives; Jean Pierre Nshimyimana; Cory A. Rusinek; Joan B. Rose; Wei Liao. 2020. "Techno-Economic Analysis of Electrocoagulation on Water Reclamation and Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions of a High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent." Sustainability 12, no. 7: 2697.
A novel, mechano-biocatalytic one-pot process was developed by this study to efficiently release monosaccharides from lignocellulosic materials in an environmentally-friendly manner. The process synergistically integrates ball milling and enzymatic hydrolysis to complete pretreatment and hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials in a single step without chemical supplements. High sugar titer and conversion from lignocellulosic materials were simultaneously achieved. Among four studied feedstocks (solid digestate, corn stover, switchgrass, and miscanthus), corn stover demonstrated much better sugar concentration and conversion. Under the preferred reaction condition, the glucose concentration reached 55.20 g/L with a glucose conversion of 88.63%. The corresponding xylose concentration was 20.06 g/L with a xylose conversion of 67.34%. The energy and exergy analyses further indicate that the studied process had better energy and exergy profiles than the conventional combined hydrolysis process. The average energy consumption of the mechano-biocatalytic process for four feedstocks was 1.05 kWh-e/kg dry biomass that was 56% lower than the average energy consumption (2.37 kWh-e/kg dry biomass) of the conventional process. The corresponding average exergy efficiency of the mechano-biocatalytic process was 67% that was much higher than the average efficiency (52%) of the conventional process. These results show that the mechano-biocatalytic one-pot process as an environmentally friendly approach can significantly simplify the pretreatment and hydrolysis and enhance their efficiencies for advanced fuel and chemical production.
Yuan Zhong; Henry Frost; Mauricio Bustamante; Song Li; Yan Susie Liu; Wei Liao. A mechano-biocatalytic one-pot approach to release sugars from lignocellulosic materials. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2020, 121, 109675 .
AMA StyleYuan Zhong, Henry Frost, Mauricio Bustamante, Song Li, Yan Susie Liu, Wei Liao. A mechano-biocatalytic one-pot approach to release sugars from lignocellulosic materials. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2020; 121 ():109675.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYuan Zhong; Henry Frost; Mauricio Bustamante; Song Li; Yan Susie Liu; Wei Liao. 2020. "A mechano-biocatalytic one-pot approach to release sugars from lignocellulosic materials." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 121, no. : 109675.
Machine learning has emerges as a novel method for model development and has potential to be used to predict and control the performance of anaerobic digesters. In this study, several machine learning algorithms were applied in regression and classification models on digestion performance to identify determinant operational parameters and predict methane production. In the regression models, k-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm demonstrates optimal prediction accuracy (root mean square error = 26.6, with the dataset range of 259.0–573.8), after narrowing prediction coverage by excluding extreme outliers from the validation set. In the classification models, logistic regression multiclass algorithm yields the best prediction accuracy of 0.73. Feature importance reveals that total carbon was the determinant operational parameter. These results demonstrate the great potential of using machine learning algorithms to predict anaerobic digestion performance.
LuGuang Wang; Fei Long; Wei Liao; Hong Liu. Prediction of anaerobic digestion performance and identification of critical operational parameters using machine learning algorithms. Bioresource Technology 2019, 298, 122495 .
AMA StyleLuGuang Wang, Fei Long, Wei Liao, Hong Liu. Prediction of anaerobic digestion performance and identification of critical operational parameters using machine learning algorithms. Bioresource Technology. 2019; 298 ():122495.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuGuang Wang; Fei Long; Wei Liao; Hong Liu. 2019. "Prediction of anaerobic digestion performance and identification of critical operational parameters using machine learning algorithms." Bioresource Technology 298, no. : 122495.
This study investigated the effects of mixtures of agricultural wastes and energy crop on solid digestate quality and biogas production. The feedstock mixtures of dairy manure and switchgrass (DM:SG) had the similar lag phase with the control feedstock of dairy manure, while was shorter than the feedstock mixtures of dairy manure and corn stover (DM:CS). Under the stable digestion conditions, the mixture of DM:SG at the mixture ratio of 80:20 had the highest methane production of 138 mL/g total solids (TS) loading; the mixtures of DM:SG and DM:CS at the mixture ratio of 60:40 had the highest VS reduction of 25.8%; and the mixture of DM:SG at the mixture ratio of 60:40 had the highest cellulose and xylan reduction of 40.4 and 40.7%, respectively. Two bacterial phyla (Firmicultes and Bacteroidetes) and three archaeal genera (Methanosarcina, Methanobrevibacter, and Methanobacterium) were the abundant microbial communities in all tested digestions. The statistical analysis concludes that anaerobic digestion can homogenize the feedstocks to generate solid digestates with uniform-format carbohydrate composition and similar mono-sugar conversion. The mean cellulose and xylan contents of the solid digestates were 26.6% and 15.2%, respectively. The corresponding mean glucose and xylose conversions of the solid digestates were 82.3% and 98.7%.
Yuan Zhong; Rui Chen; Juan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Christine Isaguirre; Austin Mashburn; Terence Marsh; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. Anaerobic co-digestion of energy crop and agricultural wastes to prepare uniform-format cellulosic feedstock for biorefining. Renewable Energy 2019, 147, 1358 -1370.
AMA StyleYuan Zhong, Rui Chen, Juan Pablo Rojas-Sossa, Christine Isaguirre, Austin Mashburn, Terence Marsh, Yan Liu, Wei Liao. Anaerobic co-digestion of energy crop and agricultural wastes to prepare uniform-format cellulosic feedstock for biorefining. Renewable Energy. 2019; 147 ():1358-1370.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYuan Zhong; Rui Chen; Juan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Christine Isaguirre; Austin Mashburn; Terence Marsh; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. 2019. "Anaerobic co-digestion of energy crop and agricultural wastes to prepare uniform-format cellulosic feedstock for biorefining." Renewable Energy 147, no. : 1358-1370.
Juan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Yuan Zhong; Francesca Valenti; John Blackhurst; Terence Marsh; Dana Kirk; Di Fang; Bruce Dale; Wei Liao. Effects of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treated corn stover on anaerobic microbes and corresponding digestion performance. Biomass and Bioenergy 2019, 127, 1 .
AMA StyleJuan Pablo Rojas-Sossa, Yuan Zhong, Francesca Valenti, John Blackhurst, Terence Marsh, Dana Kirk, Di Fang, Bruce Dale, Wei Liao. Effects of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treated corn stover on anaerobic microbes and corresponding digestion performance. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2019; 127 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJuan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Yuan Zhong; Francesca Valenti; John Blackhurst; Terence Marsh; Dana Kirk; Di Fang; Bruce Dale; Wei Liao. 2019. "Effects of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treated corn stover on anaerobic microbes and corresponding digestion performance." Biomass and Bioenergy 127, no. : 1.
A hypothetical regional biogas power generation system based on multiple biomass feedstocks for the Catania province in Sicily was developed. A three-step approach of data collection, GIS-based analysis, and techno-economic assessment was used to analyze and design the biogas power generation system. Based on the amount of available and useable biomass, the biogas power generation system with a nominal electricity capacity of 3.6 MW-e can convert 211,000 t/year biomass into 15,374,000 m3 biogas, 30,000 metric ton soil amendment, and generate 23.1 GWh-e electricity and 35.5 GWh-e heat per year. The geographic information system (GIS) based analysis determines the size and location of four biogas plants in the system. The techno-economic assessment concludes that the system is able to satisfy 27% of the total agricultural electricity demand in the province and shows excellent economic performance with a discounted payback period of less than 6.5 years for the entire biogas power generation system. The results clearly demonstrate that the regional biogas production system can offer a sustainable solution for renewable electricity generation using agricultural residues and food wastes in Sicily. This study also elucidated that the three-step approach is a suitable method to carry out such analysis and to facilitate establishing biogas plants in different regions.
Francesca Valenti; Simona M.C. Porto; Bruce E. Dale; Wei Liao. Spatial analysis of feedstock supply and logistics to establish regional biogas power generation: A case study in the region of Sicily. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2018, 97, 50 -63.
AMA StyleFrancesca Valenti, Simona M.C. Porto, Bruce E. Dale, Wei Liao. Spatial analysis of feedstock supply and logistics to establish regional biogas power generation: A case study in the region of Sicily. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2018; 97 ():50-63.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesca Valenti; Simona M.C. Porto; Bruce E. Dale; Wei Liao. 2018. "Spatial analysis of feedstock supply and logistics to establish regional biogas power generation: A case study in the region of Sicily." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 97, no. : 50-63.
To valorize agricultural wastes and byproducts in southern Italy, anaerobic co-digestion of six feedstocks (citrus pulp, olive pomace, cattle manure, poultry litter, whey, and corn silage) was studied to produce biogas for renewable energy generation. Both batch and semi-continuous co-digestion approaches were adopted to carry out the investigation. The feedstocks were mixed at different percentages according to their availabilities in southern Italy. The batch anaerobic co-digestion demonstrated that six studied feedstock mixtures generated an average of 239 mL CH4/g VS loading without significant difference between each other, which concluded that the feedstock mixtures can be used for biogas production. Considering the feedstock availability of citrus pulp and olive pomace in Sicily, three feedstock mixtures with the highest volatile solids concentration of citrus pulp (42% citrus pulp, 17% corn silage, 4% cattle manure, 8% poultry litter, and 18% whey; 34% citrus pulp, 8% olive pomace, 17% corn silage, 4% cattle manure, 8% poultry litter, and 18% whey; and 25% citrus pulp, 16% olive pomace, 17% corn silage, 4% cattle manure, 8% poultry litter, and 18% whey, respectively) were selected to run the semi-continuous anaerobic digestion. Under the stabilized culture condition, the feed mixture with 42% citrus pulp, 17% corn silage, 4% cattle manure, 8% poultry litter, and 18% whey presented the best biogas production (231 L methane/kg VS loading/day). The corresponding mass and energy balance concluded that all three tested feedstock mixtures have positive net energy outputs (1.5, 0.9, and 1.2 kWh-e/kg dry feedstock mixture, respectively).
Francesca Valenti; Yuan Zhong; Mingxuan Sun; Simona M.C. Porto; Attilio Toscano; Bruce E. Dale; Fabrizio Sibilla; Wei Liao. Anaerobic co-digestion of multiple agricultural residues to enhance biogas production in southern Italy. Waste Management 2018, 78, 151 -157.
AMA StyleFrancesca Valenti, Yuan Zhong, Mingxuan Sun, Simona M.C. Porto, Attilio Toscano, Bruce E. Dale, Fabrizio Sibilla, Wei Liao. Anaerobic co-digestion of multiple agricultural residues to enhance biogas production in southern Italy. Waste Management. 2018; 78 ():151-157.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesca Valenti; Yuan Zhong; Mingxuan Sun; Simona M.C. Porto; Attilio Toscano; Bruce E. Dale; Fabrizio Sibilla; Wei Liao. 2018. "Anaerobic co-digestion of multiple agricultural residues to enhance biogas production in southern Italy." Waste Management 78, no. : 151-157.
Juan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Mariana Murillo-Roos; Lidieth Uribe; Lorena Uribe-Lorio; Terence Marsh; Niels Larsen; Rui Chen; Alberto Miranda; Kattia Solís; Werner Rodriguez; Dana Kirk; Wei Liao. Corrigendum to “Effects of coffee processing residues on anaerobic microorganisms and corresponding digestion performance” [Bioresour. Technol. 245 (2017) 714–723]. Bioresource Technology 2018, 249, 1097 .
AMA StyleJuan Pablo Rojas-Sossa, Mariana Murillo-Roos, Lidieth Uribe, Lorena Uribe-Lorio, Terence Marsh, Niels Larsen, Rui Chen, Alberto Miranda, Kattia Solís, Werner Rodriguez, Dana Kirk, Wei Liao. Corrigendum to “Effects of coffee processing residues on anaerobic microorganisms and corresponding digestion performance” [Bioresour. Technol. 245 (2017) 714–723]. Bioresource Technology. 2018; 249 ():1097.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJuan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Mariana Murillo-Roos; Lidieth Uribe; Lorena Uribe-Lorio; Terence Marsh; Niels Larsen; Rui Chen; Alberto Miranda; Kattia Solís; Werner Rodriguez; Dana Kirk; Wei Liao. 2018. "Corrigendum to “Effects of coffee processing residues on anaerobic microorganisms and corresponding digestion performance” [Bioresour. Technol. 245 (2017) 714–723]." Bioresource Technology 249, no. : 1097.
The objective of this study was to delineate the effects of different coffee processing residues on the anaerobic microbes and corresponding digestion performance. The results elucidated that mucilage-rich feed enhanced the accumulation of methanogens, which consequently led to better digestion performance of biogas production. Fifty percent more methane and up to 3 times more net energy (heat and electricity) output were achieved by the digestion of the mucilage-rich feed (M3). The microbial community and statistical analyses further elucidated that different residues in the feed had significant impact on microbial distribution and correspondingly influenced the digestion performance.
Juan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Mariana Murillo-Roos; Lidieth Uribe; Lorena Uribe-Lorio; Terence Marsh; Niels Larsen; Rui Chen; Alberto Miranda; Kattia Solís; Werner Rodriguez; Dana Kirk; Wei Liao. Effects of coffee processing residues on anaerobic microorganisms and corresponding digestion performance. Bioresource Technology 2017, 245, 714 -723.
AMA StyleJuan Pablo Rojas-Sossa, Mariana Murillo-Roos, Lidieth Uribe, Lorena Uribe-Lorio, Terence Marsh, Niels Larsen, Rui Chen, Alberto Miranda, Kattia Solís, Werner Rodriguez, Dana Kirk, Wei Liao. Effects of coffee processing residues on anaerobic microorganisms and corresponding digestion performance. Bioresource Technology. 2017; 245 ():714-723.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJuan Pablo Rojas-Sossa; Mariana Murillo-Roos; Lidieth Uribe; Lorena Uribe-Lorio; Terence Marsh; Niels Larsen; Rui Chen; Alberto Miranda; Kattia Solís; Werner Rodriguez; Dana Kirk; Wei Liao. 2017. "Effects of coffee processing residues on anaerobic microorganisms and corresponding digestion performance." Bioresource Technology 245, no. : 714-723.
Interactions of lignocellulosic components during fiber analysis were investigated using the highly adopted compositional analysis procedure from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA. Synthetic feedstock samples were used to study the effects of lignin/protein, cellulose/protein, and xylan/protein interaction on carbohydrate analysis. Disregarding structural influence in the synthetic samples, lignin and protein components were the most significant (P<0.05) factors on cellulose analysis. Measured xylan was consistent and unaffected by content variation throughout the synthetic analysis. Validation of the observed relationships from synthetic feedstocks was fulfilled using real lignocellulosic feedstocks: corn stover, poplar, and alfalfa, in which similar results have been obtained, excluding cellulose analysis of poplar under higher protein content and xylan analysis of alfalfa under higher protein content. The results elucidated that according to their protein and lignin contents of different lignocellulosic materials, accuracy of the NREL method on cellulose and xylan analyses could be improved by applying a stronger extraction step to replace water/ethanol extraction.
James MacLellan; Rui Chen; Zhengbo Yue; Robert Kraemer; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. Effects of protein and lignin on cellulose and xylan anaylses of lignocellulosic biomass. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 2017, 16, 1268 -1275.
AMA StyleJames MacLellan, Rui Chen, Zhengbo Yue, Robert Kraemer, Yan Liu, Wei Liao. Effects of protein and lignin on cellulose and xylan anaylses of lignocellulosic biomass. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. 2017; 16 (6):1268-1275.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJames MacLellan; Rui Chen; Zhengbo Yue; Robert Kraemer; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. 2017. "Effects of protein and lignin on cellulose and xylan anaylses of lignocellulosic biomass." Journal of Integrative Agriculture 16, no. 6: 1268-1275.
This study focuses on system analysis of a self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment concept combining solar technologies, anaerobic digestion, and aerobic treatment to reclaim water. A solar bio-hybrid power generation unit was adopted to power the wastewater treatment. Concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaics (PV) were combined with biogas energy from anaerobic digestion. Biogas is also used to store the extra energy generated by the hybrid power unit and ensure stable and continuous wastewater treatment. It was determined from the energy balance analysis that the PV-bio hybrid power unit is the preferred energy unit to realize the self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment. With short-term solar energy storage, the PV-bio-hybrid power unit in Phoenix, AZ requires solar collection area (4032m) and biogas storage (35m), while the same unit in Lansing, MI needs bigger solar collection area and biogas storage (5821m and 105m, respectively) due to the cold climate.
Mauricio Bustamante; Wei Liao. A self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment system using solar-bio-hybrid power generation. Bioresource Technology 2017, 234, 415 -423.
AMA StyleMauricio Bustamante, Wei Liao. A self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment system using solar-bio-hybrid power generation. Bioresource Technology. 2017; 234 ():415-423.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMauricio Bustamante; Wei Liao. 2017. "A self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment system using solar-bio-hybrid power generation." Bioresource Technology 234, no. : 415-423.
C1 substrates (such as formate and methanol) are promising feedstock for biochemical/biofuel production. Numerous studies have been focusing on engineering heterologous pathways to incorporate C1 substrates into biomass, while the engineered microbial hosts often demonstrate inferior fermentation performance due to substrate toxicity, metabolic burdens from engineered pathways, and poor enzyme activities. Alternatively, exploring native C1 pathways in non-model microbes could be a better solution to address these challenges. An oleaginous fungus, Umbelopsis isabellina, demonstrates an excellent capability of metabolizing formate to promote growth and lipid accumulation. By co-feeding formate with glucose at a mole ratio of 3.9:1, biomass and lipid productivities of the culture in 7.5 L bioreactors were improved by 20 and 70%, respectively. 13C-metabolite analysis, genome annotations, and enzyme assay further discovered that formate not only provides an auxiliary energy source [promoting NAD(P)H and ATP] for cell anabolism, but also contributes carbon backbones via folate-mediated C1 pathways. More interestingly, formate addition can tune fatty acid profile and increase the portion of medium-chain fatty acids, which would benefit conversion of fungal lipids for high-quality biofuel production. Flux balance analysis further indicates that formate co-utilization can power microbial metabolism to improve biosynthesis, particularly on glucose-limited cultures. This study demonstrates Umbelopsis isabellina's strong capability for co-utilizing formate to produce biomass and enhance fatty acid production. It is a promising non-model platform that can be potentially integrated with photochemical/electrochemical processes to efficiently convert carbon dioxide into biofuels and value-added chemicals.
Zhiguo Liu; Tolutola Oyetunde; Whitney D. Hollinshead; Anna Hermanns; Yinjie J. Tang; Wei Liao; Yan Liu. Exploring eukaryotic formate metabolisms to enhance microbial growth and lipid accumulation. Biotechnology for Biofuels 2017, 10, 22 .
AMA StyleZhiguo Liu, Tolutola Oyetunde, Whitney D. Hollinshead, Anna Hermanns, Yinjie J. Tang, Wei Liao, Yan Liu. Exploring eukaryotic formate metabolisms to enhance microbial growth and lipid accumulation. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2017; 10 (1):22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhiguo Liu; Tolutola Oyetunde; Whitney D. Hollinshead; Anna Hermanns; Yinjie J. Tang; Wei Liao; Yan Liu. 2017. "Exploring eukaryotic formate metabolisms to enhance microbial growth and lipid accumulation." Biotechnology for Biofuels 10, no. 1: 22.
The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a pilot-scale and closed-loop system that synergistically combines solar thermal collector, anaerobic digester, and constructed treatment wetland to simultaneously treat and utilize organic wastes. The system utilizes 863 kg of mixed animal and food wastes to generate 263 MJ renewable energy, produced 28 kg nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, and reclaimed 550 kg water per day. The net revenue considering electricity and fertilizer was $2436 annually. The payback period for the system is estimated to be 17.8 years for a relatively dilute waste stream (i.e., 2% total solids). The implemented system has successfully demonstrated a self-efficient and flexible waste utilization and treatment system. It creates a win-win solution to satisfy the energy needs of the community and address environmental concerns of organic wastes disposal in the region.
Ronald Esteban Aguilar Alvarez; Mauricio Bustamante Roman; Dana Kirk; Jose Alberto Miranda Chavarria; Daniel Baudrit; Jose Francisco Aguilar Pereira; Werner Rodriguez Montero; Dawn Reinhold; Wei Liao. Technical and economic feasibility of a solar-bio-powered waste utilization and treatment system in Central America. Journal of Environmental Management 2016, 184, 371 -379.
AMA StyleRonald Esteban Aguilar Alvarez, Mauricio Bustamante Roman, Dana Kirk, Jose Alberto Miranda Chavarria, Daniel Baudrit, Jose Francisco Aguilar Pereira, Werner Rodriguez Montero, Dawn Reinhold, Wei Liao. Technical and economic feasibility of a solar-bio-powered waste utilization and treatment system in Central America. Journal of Environmental Management. 2016; 184 ():371-379.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRonald Esteban Aguilar Alvarez; Mauricio Bustamante Roman; Dana Kirk; Jose Alberto Miranda Chavarria; Daniel Baudrit; Jose Francisco Aguilar Pereira; Werner Rodriguez Montero; Dawn Reinhold; Wei Liao. 2016. "Technical and economic feasibility of a solar-bio-powered waste utilization and treatment system in Central America." Journal of Environmental Management 184, no. : 371-379.
Anaerobic digestate is the effluent from anaerobic digestion of organic wastes. It contains a significant amount of nutrients and lignocellulosic materials, even though anaerobic digestion consumed a large portion of organic matters in the wastes. Utilizing the nutrients and lignocellulosic materials in the digestate is critical to significantly improve efficiency of anaerobic digestion technology and generate value-added chemical and fuel products from the organic wastes. Therefore, this study focused on developing an integrated process that uses biogas energy to power fungal fermentation and converts remaining carbon sources, nutrients, and water in the digestate into biofuel precursor-lipid. The process contains two unit operations of anaerobic digestion and digestate utilization. The digestate utilization includes alkali treatment of the mixture feed of solid and liquid digestates, enzymatic hydrolysis for mono-sugar release, overliming detoxification, and fungal fermentation for lipid accumulation. The experimental results conclude that 5 h and 30 °C were the preferred conditions for the overliming detoxification regarding lipid accumulation of the following fungal cultivation. The repeated-batch fungal fermentation enhanced lipid accumulation, which led to a final lipid concentration of 3.16 g/L on the digestate with 10% dry matter. The mass and energy balance analysis further indicates that the digestate had enough water for the process uses and the biogas energy was able to balance the needs of individual unit operations. A fresh-water-free and energy-positive process of lipid production from anaerobic digestate was achieved by integrating anaerobic digestion and fungal fermentation. The integration addresses the issues that both biofuel industry and waste management encounter—high water and energy demand of biofuel precursor production and few digestate utilization approaches of organic waste treatment.
Yuan Zhong; Zhiguo Liu; Christine Isaguirre; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. Fungal fermentation on anaerobic digestate for lipid-based biofuel production. Biotechnology for Biofuels 2016, 9, 1 -11.
AMA StyleYuan Zhong, Zhiguo Liu, Christine Isaguirre, Yan Liu, Wei Liao. Fungal fermentation on anaerobic digestate for lipid-based biofuel production. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2016; 9 (1):1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYuan Zhong; Zhiguo Liu; Christine Isaguirre; Yan Liu; Wei Liao. 2016. "Fungal fermentation on anaerobic digestate for lipid-based biofuel production." Biotechnology for Biofuels 9, no. 1: 1-11.
Animal wastes are of particular environmental concern due to greenhouse gases emissions, odor problem, and potential water contamination. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an effective and widely used technology to treat them for bioenergy production. However, the sustainability of AD is compromised by two by-products of the nutrient-rich liquid digestate and the fiber-rich solid digestate. To overcome these limitations, this paper demonstrates a biorefinery concept to fully utilize animal wastes and create a new value-added route for animal waste management. The studied biorefinery includes an AD, electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of the liquid digestate, and fungal conversion of the solid fiber into a fine chemical—chitin. Animal wastes were first treated by an AD to produce methane gas for energy generation to power the entire biorefinery. The resulting liquid digestate was treated by EC to reclaim water. Enzymatic hydrolysis and fungal fermentation were then applied on the cellulose-rich solid digestate to produce chitin. EC water was used as the processing water for the fungal fermentation. The results indicate that the studied biorefinery converts 1 kg dry animal wastes into 17 g fungal biomass containing 12 % of chitin (10 % of glucosamine), and generates 1.7 MJ renewable energy and 8.5 kg irrigation water. This study demonstrates an energy positive and freshwater-free biorefinery to simultaneously treat animal wastes and produce a fine chemical—chitin. The sustainable biorefinery concept provides a win–win solution for agricultural waste management and value-added chemical production.
Zhiguo Liu; Wei Liao; Yan Liu. A sustainable biorefinery to convert agricultural residues into value-added chemicals. Biotechnology for Biofuels 2016, 9, 1 -9.
AMA StyleZhiguo Liu, Wei Liao, Yan Liu. A sustainable biorefinery to convert agricultural residues into value-added chemicals. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2016; 9 (1):1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhiguo Liu; Wei Liao; Yan Liu. 2016. "A sustainable biorefinery to convert agricultural residues into value-added chemicals." Biotechnology for Biofuels 9, no. 1: 1-9.