Roshni Paul
Name: Roshni Paul
Research Title: Anaerobic Digestion of Algae Biomass
Name of Director of Studies: Dr. Lynsey Melville
Key Contact Details - Email: Roshni.Paul@bcu.ac.uk
About the Project: Today’s global environmental problems seek green and sustainable solutions, especially in the bioenergy market. This research investigates an environmentally sustainable and economically feasible Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process utilising micro and macro algae biomass as potential biofuel feedstock. The research focuses on the pre-treatment of algae and also the combined digestion of other potential feedstock (co-digestion) to aid higher production of biogas from the biomass.
Research Activities: The research is quantitative, involving laboratory and experimental methods. The research adopts a scientific approach utilising different design and process parameter measurements contributing to the characterisation of the biomass. The methods involve observation, correlation and comparison of data to find the optimum conditions favouring higher production of biogas from the biomass treated with a suitable pre-treatment.
The work would also include a critical evaluation of the existing literature in order to thereby fill the knowledge gap in the current area.
Findings: The experiments would help draw conclusions on the optimum pre-treatment method for the algae biomass to produce a higher quantity of biogas. Studies on the various parameters would provide a better understanding of the anaerobic digestion process. The results will also include an optimum bench scale method for the AD trials of algae biomass and also a potential co-digestion feedstock. A design specification for a pilot scale AD system, based on the experimental data, will also be developed.
Achievements:
- ‘Bioenergy from Microalgae – A biorefinery approach’ in Kerala Environment Congress, 2011
- Letisha & Charlene Education Awards 2012, Bimingham (Scholarship)
- Preparing Postgraduate Researchers to Teach in Higher Education Certificate (SEDA) July 2012
- M.Ed - Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy