Bioreactors for microbial biomass and energy conversion

Abstract

Bioenergy derived from biomass may play a significant role in future energy systems due to its renewability and sustainability. The wide distribution of biomass provides rich sources of raw materials, while the significant development in bioenergy conversion technology has improved its competitiveness. Bioenergy, which is used to produce biofuel, heat, and electricity, may be generated via various routes such as thermo-chemical, biological, and bio-electrochemical processes. Bioenergy systems should be optimized to ensure their sustainability, maximize their efficiency, and minimize costs. The bioreactor is a critical unit in the microbial conversion process, since it provides a suitable, stable place for microbial growth and metabolism by controlling the operating conditions. The performance of bioreactors is greatly influenced by many other factors, such as the bioreactor’s structure and size, mixing and transfer characteristics, and means of feed introduction and product removal. There are complex multiphase flow patterns that exist in bioreactors that can vary the heat and mass transfer characteristics in the bioreactors and affect the microbial conversion processes. This book discusses the fundamentals of biomass energy systems, as well as the recent trends and developments in the microbial conversion process, with a particular focus on bioreactors. It combines the most current understanding of microbial conversion with the multiphase flow and mass transfer and provides an alternative perspective for the understanding of the microbial biomass and energy production process, as well as enhancement strategies.