1.First, Grow colonies of Botryococcus braunii algae (a species especially prone to storing fat

2.in long, thin, transparent plastic bags in the desert. As the colonies mature, starve them of nitrogen

3.The cells react to the low nutrient supply by entering survival mode and producing extra fats. When they're created enough fat, collect the cells and break them apart.

4. Filter out the large organelles and cell membrane, and then use solvents like methanol to separate out the fats from water-soluble proteins and sugars.

5. Purify the collected fats, and evaporate the solvent.

6. Finally, put the fats in a chemical reactor to transform them into biodiesel (a process called transesterification)

Resource: Popular Science Magazine

I think this is as great as it sounds So we all can driving around with algae fuel in our tanks???

Quoting from [davadi]:

1.First, Grow colonies of Botryococcus braunii algae (a species especially prone to storing fat

2.in long, thin, transparent plastic bags in the desert. As the colonies mature, starve them of nitrogen

3.The cells react to the low nutrient supply by entering survival mode and producing extra fats. When they're created enough fat, collect the cells and break them apart.

4. Filter out the large organelles and cell membrane, and then use solvents like methanol to separate out the fats from water-soluble proteins and sugars.

5. Purify the collected fats, and evaporate the solvent.

6. Finally, put the fats in a chemical reactor to transform them into biodiesel (a process called transesterification)

Resource: Popular Science Magazine

Quoting from [davadi]:

1.First, Grow colonies of Botryococcus braunii algae (a species especially prone to storing fat

2.in long, thin, transparent plastic bags in the desert. As the colonies mature, starve them of nitrogen

3.The cells react to the low nutrient supply by entering survival mode and producing extra fats. When they're created enough fat, collect the cells and break them apart.

4. Filter out the large organelles and cell membrane, and then use solvents like methanol to separate out the fats from water-soluble proteins and sugars.

5. Purify the collected fats, and evaporate the solvent.

6. Finally, put the fats in a chemical reactor to transform them into biodiesel (a process called transesterification)

Resource: Popular Science Magazine

I would appreciate the copy of that magazine. It is my understanding that it is a little bit inflated on the yeild of oils due to investment "interests" trying to make it look better than it actually is. They want to interest investors in this area.

jimadf

Quoting from [jimadf]:

I would appreciate the copy of that magazine. It is my understanding that it is a little bit inflated on the yeild of oils due to investment "interests" trying to make it look better than it actually is. They want to interest investors in this area.

jimadf

Quoting from [jimadf]:

Quoting from [davadi]:

1.First, Grow colonies of Botryococcus braunii algae (a species especially prone to storing fat

2.in long, thin, transparent plastic bags in the desert. As the colonies mature, starve them of nitrogen

3.The cells react to the low nutrient supply by entering survival mode and producing extra fats. When they're created enough fat, collect the cells and break them apart.

4. Filter out the large organelles and cell membrane, and then use solvents like methanol to separate out the fats from water-soluble proteins and sugars.

5. Purify the collected fats, and evaporate the solvent.

6. Finally, put the fats in a chemical reactor to transform them into biodiesel (a process called transesterification)

Resource: Popular Science Magazine

I would appreciate the copy of that magazine. It is my understanding that it is a little bit inflated on the yeild of oils due to investment "interests" trying to make it look better than it actually is. They want to interest investors in this area.

jimadf

You are right.  They have to make it viable for commercial scale and it might take some time.

Commercialization and large scale production will require a efficient method.

I believe within a few years time this type of commercialization will be out.

Quoting from [davadi]:

1.First, Grow colonies of Botryococcus braunii algae (a species especially prone to storing fat

2.in long, thin, transparent plastic bags in the desert. As the colonies mature, starve them of nitrogen

3.The cells react to the low nutrient supply by entering survival mode and producing extra fats. When they're created enough fat, collect the cells and break them apart.

4. Filter out the large organelles and cell membrane, and then use solvents like methanol to separate out the fats from water-soluble proteins and sugars.

5. Purify the collected fats, and evaporate the solvent.

6. Finally, put the fats in a chemical reactor to transform them into biodiesel (a process called transesterification)

Resource: Popular Science Magazine

Technically it is possible to do this.

But growing algae is different from location to location, and is extremely sensible to problems during the process in which the cilinders have to be cleaned etc.

Also the exact ratio between the sorts of algae to be used varies from location to location.

All in all NOT AS EASY as one might believe at first sight.

Quoting from [bavaria]:

All in all NOT AS EASY as one might believe at first sight.

 

 

Quoting from [Trollslayer]:


technically carbon neutral

Litres of oil per Hectare per Year

 

Corn                                                168

 

Soybeans                                         450

 

Safflower                                       780

 

Sunflower                                      943

 

Rapeseed                                    1191

 

Oil Palm                                       5962

 

Micro Algae            112,000 – 178,400