Research Grant Highlights 

 

Awarded in 2016, this project focuses on developing a pilot­scale mobile Flash Hydrolyzer (FH) unit to rapidly and economically harvest products made from microalgae.The project will result in a novel mobile algae slurry processing Flash Hydrolysis unit which will be used for following demonstration purposes:

(i) On­site algae processing at commercial algae cultivation facilities

(ii) Recovery of bioproducts and nutrients at algae bloom sites

(iii) Processing algae from the tertiary treatment of wastewater effluents and

(iv) Integration into a municipal solid waste processing facility.

 

The project team consists of graduate students and interdisciplinary undergraduate students who will gain experience in project­based learning and process design, as well as an opportunity to interact with numerous  takeholders. This project platform will help engage student participants in talking to potential customers, partners and competitors, and entrepreneurial opportunities that follow successful academic research. A summer biofuel research apprenticeship program and visits of local high school students to the project site will be used as a tool to engage K­12 students.

 

 

Awarded in 2014, the CAREER grant funds research, educational and outreach activities focused on the extraction of proteins and lipids from algal biomass using Flash Hydrolysis in subcritical water, and the use of Hydrothermal Mineralization to recover inorganic nutrients for reuse as algal fertilizer.  

 

For more details, see the NSF Grants pages.

 

 

After being awarded the $15,000 Phase I grant on 2018, the Biofuels team competed Washington D.C. for the $75,000 Phase II grant. Among the most prestigious universities within the field, Old Dominion's Biofuels team was awarded a honorable mention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ODU EPA 2018 Team

 

 

• PI: Funding Agency: Pancopia Inc. “Onsite Wastewater Sampling, Analysis, and Data Interpretation for Pancopia’s Proto-type Biological Wastewater Treatment System”, Amount: $17,000. Project Period: 3/20/17-12/19/17.

 

• Co-PI: Funding Agency: QEP, Old Dominion University. “Bridging the Gap: Understanding Student Perceptions of Writing as a Disciplinary Act”. Amount: $19,987. Project Period: 08/01/2017-07/31/2018.

 

• PI: Funding Agency: National Science Foundation, “Design, Development, and Demonstration of a Pilot-Scale Mobile Flash Hydrolyzer for Algae Processing”, Amount: $200,000. Project Period: 10/01/2016-03/31/2018.

 

• Zhang, X. (PI); Kumar, S. (Co-PI, 50%) Funding Agency: National Science Foundation "REU Site: Training Undergraduates in Electrochemical Technologies for Clean Fuels (Biofuels and Hydrogen) Production and Applications" Amount: $339,450. Project Period: 09/01/2016-08/31/2019.

 

• PI: Funding Agency: Fiberight, LLC. “Integrated Processing of Post Hydrolysis Solids for Maximizing Carbon Recovery and Fuel Production”, Amount: $58,810. Project Period: 08/01/2016-12/31/2017.

 

• PI: Funding Agency; JMS Foodservice LLC (Smucker’s), “Onsite gas and water samples collection and analysis, Amount: $10,000. Project Period:  6/20/2016-7/31/2017.

 

• PI: 2016 Intramural awards for the Summer Research Fellowship Program (SRFP), Amount: $7,000, Period: Summer 2016.

 

• PI: Funding Agency: Sandia National Laboratories, Project Title: “Flash Hydrolysis of Algae Biomass” Amount: $50,000, Project Period: 12/21/15-12/21/17.

 

• PI: Funding Agency: National Science Foundation, Project Title: “REU Supplement Award” Amount: $22,000, Project Period: 07/01/2015 – 12/31/2018.

 

• PI: Funding Agency: City of Hampton/NASA Steam Plant, Project Title: “Proposal for Studying MSW Residue Ash Treatment Options at Hampton/NASA Steam Plant” Amount: $7,500, Project Period: 7/1/15-12/31/15.

 

• PI: Funding Agency: National Science Foundation, Research Opportunities in Europe for NSF CAREER Awardees # 1351413, partner with European Research Council (ERC) Institution, UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA, PADOVA, IT, Amount: $9,180, Project Period: 10/01/2015 – 12/31/2018.

 

• Dean’s Faculty Development Grant 2014, Amount: $2000.

 

• PI: Project No.:  748331, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: “Analysis of Biomass and Liquid Samples”, Amount:  $16,065, Project Period: 6/15/14-6/14/15.

 

• PI: Project Number: 337681, Funding Agency: National Science Foundation, Project Title: “CAREER: Nutrients and Energy-rich Macromolecules Recovery from Microalgae using Subcritical Water”, Amount: $438,659 (CAREER+REU supplement), Project Period: 01/01/2014 – 12/31/2018.

 

• PI: Project Number: 741311, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: “Commissioning, Operation and Data Analysis of a Pilot-Scale Subcritical Water Hydrolysis Reactor for Processing Biomass”, Amount: $159,302, Project Period: 10/7/13-05/31/16.

 

• PI: Project Number: 724103, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: Phase III-“Proposal for Development of a Commercially Feasible Method of Extraction of Oil/Proteins/Other Biochemicals from Biomass Using Hydrothermal/Subcritical Water Based Technology”. Amount: $11,913. Project Period: 09/29/13-09/28/14.

 

• PI: Project Number: 333001, Funding Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA /P3 Phase I Award, Project Title: Flash Hydrolysis of Microalgae for On-site Nutrients Recovery and Biofuels Production. Amount: $15,000. Project Period: 8/15/13-8/14/14.

 

• PI: Project Number: 737041, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: “Evaluating the Stability of Composite Materials in Supercritical Water Oxidation Medium”. Amount: $2,500. Project Period: 06/15/2013-09/15/2013.

 

• Travel grant for 35th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, Portland, OR, April 2013 by Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Amount $500.

 

• PI: Project Number: 736181, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: “Physio-chemical Characterization of Biomass Samples”. Amount: $30,600. Project Period: 05/01/2013-01/31/2014.

 

• Co-PI: Project Number: 533571, Funding Agency: Office of Research Old Dominion University, Project Title: SEED Grant: For Sustainable Future on Earth: High-Tech Biochar, Budget Amount: $50,000, Period: 1/1/2013-12/31/2013.

 

• PI: Faculty Proposal Preparation Program (FP3) award for the spring 2013 semester.

 

• PI: Project Number: 724102, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: Phase II-“For Development of a Commercially Feasible Method of Extraction of Oil/Proteins/Other Biochemicals from Biomass Using Hydrothermal/Subcritical Water Based Technology”. Amount: $43,000. Project Period: 8/17/12-8/16/13.

 

• PI: Project Number: 724101, Funding Agency: Private Industry, Project Title: Phase I-“Proposal for Development of a Commercially Feasible Method of Extraction of Oil/Proteins/Other Biochemicals from Biomass Using Hydrothermal/Subcritical Water Based Technology”. Amount: $17,803. Project Period: 2/1/12-8/1/12.