Brown Macroalgae Biorefinery via Solvent Dehydration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The biorefinery of brown macroalgae faces challenges due to seasonal availability, high water content, and energy-intensive drying processes, as well as the loss of valuable components like mannitol during ensiling, leading to inefficient and costly processing and waste generation.
Innovation Solution
The process involves contacting brown macroalgae with an organic solvent system to induce dehydration, reducing moisture content and isolating valuable components like mannitol, allowing for cost-effective and sustainable biorefining of macroalgae throughout the year.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brown macroalgae are dried to ensure year-round availability, then preservability is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly due to high moisture content (80-85%)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of moisture content from 80-85% to below 10% through solvent-induced dehydration, achieving preservability without high energy consumption associated with conventional drying methods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal drying system with a chemical dehydration system using organic solvents, substituting energy-intensive heat treatment with a chemical process that occurs at ambient or moderate temperatures
2Use of energy by moving object
If brown macroalgae are ensiled to reduce energy demand, then energy consumption decreases, but valuable carbohydrates like mannitol are consumed by bacteria, reducing valorizability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts mannitol and other valuable components from the macroalgae using organic solvents before ensiling, removing these substances from the system to prevent their consumption by bacteria during storage
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs solvent-induced dehydration and component isolation as a preliminary step before ensiling, preventing the loss of valuable carbohydrates that would otherwise occur during bacterial fermentation in the silo
3Productivity
If conventional biorefining processes are used, then processing can proceed, but large waste streams are generated with diluted valuable components that are economically unviable to isolate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful waste streams into valuable resources by using solvent-induced dehydration to concentrate valuable components like mannitol, laminarin, and fucoidan in the liquid phase, making their isolation economically viable
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the concentration parameter of valuable components in the liquid phase from diluted to concentrated through solvent-induced dehydration, transforming waste streams into valuable by-products
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces processing volumes, increases product concentrations, and enhances preservability, enabling efficient isolation of mannitol and other valuable components, thereby improving the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of seaweed-based biorefineries for fuel and chemical production.
Implementation Method 1
brown macroalgae experience solvent-induced dehydration by contacting the macroalgae with an organic solvent... the structural matrix of the macroalgae shrinks and expels most of the internal moisture, including water-soluble compounds such as mannitol
Implementation Method 2
the liquid phase comprising the organic solvent, the expelled moisture and the components dissolved therein
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns an improved process for biorefinery of brown macroalgae, which comprises: (a) contacting the brown macroalgae with a solvent system comprising at least 30 wt % organic solvent, to obtain extracted macroalgae as solid residue and a liquor; and (b) biorefining the extracted macroalgae. The inventors have found that the contacting of step (a) results in an efficient and cost-effective dewatering of the macroalgae, wherein up to 95 wt % of the internal moisture of the macroalgae could be lost without the need for energy-consuming drying techniques. As such, the downstream biorefinery of the extracted macroalgae is greatly facilitated.