Progress in biodiesel production from microalgae

Microalgae is the fastest growing plant on the earth.As a resource for biodiesel production,microalgae is one of the most competitive options for biofuel industry.In this article,the process of biodiesel produced from oilgae is introduced,consequently,units of process such as screening of algae strain,cultivation system of algae,algae harvesting,extraction of algae oil and conversion of algae oil to biodiesel are elucidated independently.Especially,various microalgae cultivation systems including open pond as open system and photobioreactors as closed system for mass production of algae are discussed in detail.The advantages and disadvantages of different cultivation systems are compared and advances of cultivation systems are summarized.Finally,trends and research areas in microalgae-biodiesel industry are proposed.