Algae into Biofuel
- Growing Algae: Growing the algae using sunlight, carbon dioxide and nutrients
- Harvesting algae: Harvesting the algae from the growing cycle
- Dewatering Algae: Removing the water from the algae by a process called dewatering
- Oil Separation: Extracting the oil from the dried algae cake
- Biofuel Production: Converting the oil and algae into biofuels [3]
How can algae be converted into biofuel?
micro algae (unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms) are used and converted to biodiesel fuel. [2] Algae uses photosynthesis to convert solar energy into chemical energy which is stored in fatty or lipid oils. One challenge of converting algae into biodiesel fuel is that production costs are uncertain and vary because of feedstock
Is algae really feasible as fuel?
The species is resilient and can grow even in difficult environmental conditions, so producing virtually limitless amounts of it sounds almost feasible. This liquid fossil fuel alternative called biofuel from algae extracts energy-producing oils from algae.
Could algae be the next great biofuel source?
Algae – The Next Biofuel. By Jags Pandhal, James Hanotu, Will Zimmerman 11 July, 2013. ... This could be especially rewarding as algae has been suggested as a possible source of bio-fuels. Algae store energy in the form of lipids, which can be readily converted to bio-diesel and jet fuel. Algal lipids are not just a source for fuel generation.
Are algae biofuels a realistic alternative to petroleum?
The short answer is yes, but algae's long-term viability depends on prices at the gas pump. As petroleum prices remain high and the algae oil cultivation, extraction and refining process becomes less costly, algae presents an increasingly viable alternative to oil as a fuel base.
What are 3 benefits of using algae as a biofuel?
Here are 10 reasons why algae are a promising new source of fuel and other products:1) Algae Grow Fast. ... 2) Algae Can Have High Biofuel Yields. ... 3) Algae Consume CO2. ... 4) Algae Do Not Compete With Agriculture. ... 5) Microalgal Biomass Can Be Used for Fuel, Feed and Food. ... 6) Macroalgae Can Be Grown in the Sea.More items...
How does algae farming produce biofuels?
Algae will be harvested and the oil will be extracted, the remaining biomass (carbohydrates/proteins) will either be recycled for nutrients through anaerobic digestion or similar means, producing methane gas and a nutrient-rich slurry, which can then be fed back into the algal pond, rather than exogenously produced ...
What part of algae is used for biofuel?
The lipid, or oily part of the algae biomass can be extracted and converted into biodiesel through a process similar to that used for any other vegetable oil, or converted in a refinery into "drop-in" replacements for petroleum-based fuels.
How much biofuel can you produce from algae?
Some researchers reported that biomass yield can be as high as 50 g/m2 per day, i.e., 74 ton biomass/m2 per year in an open pond. For enclosed photobioreactors, the biomass yield can be approximately 2 to 3 gram/L per day, i.e., 0.73-1.05 ton (dry biomass)/m3 per year.
How do we get energy from algae?
Scientists have discovered how diatoms –- algae that produce 20% of the Earth's oxygen –- harness solar energy for photosynthesis. Algae store energy in the form of natural oils and, under the right conditions, make oil that can be converted into biofuels for cars, trucks, trains and planes.
What algae is best for biofuels?
aquatic unicellular green algaeHighest-yielding algae. The algae used in biodiesel production are usually aquatic unicellular green algae (Chlorophyceae). This type of algae is a photosynthetic eukaryote characterized by high growth rates and high population densities. Under good conditions, green algae can double its biomass in less than 24 hours.
What are the benefits of algae fuel?
Pros of Algae BiofuelA Renewable Resource. Unlike fossil fuels, algae are completely renewable. ... Carbon Dioxide Neutral. ... Extremely Productive. ... Environmentally-Friendly. ... Produces Numerous Byproducts. ... Versatile Fuel Source. ... Not Enough Information. ... Large Water Demand.More items...•
Is algae biofuel sustainable?
Biofuels made from algae are gaining attention as a domestic source of renewable fuel. However, with current technologies, scaling up production of algal biofuels to meet even 5 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs could create unsustainable demands for energy, water, and nutrient resources.
How is biofuel produced?
The most basic way to do this is through fermentation of crops that are high in sugar (starch) or fat into ethanol, which can be mixed directly with gasoline to power cars. In the Northwest, oilseed crops like canola or sunflowers are used to make biofuels.
How does an algae farm work?
Wet farming Like rice, the field is flooded. Such algae farms would be based on the use of open, shallow ponds in which some source of waste CO2 could be efficiently bubbled into the water and captured by the algae. The ponds are “raceway” designs, in which the algae, water and nutrients circulate around a racetrack.
Is algae biofuel sustainable?
Biofuels made from algae are gaining attention as a domestic source of renewable fuel. However, with current technologies, scaling up production of algal biofuels to meet even 5 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs could create unsustainable demands for energy, water, and nutrient resources.
Is biofuel from algae economically viable?
Algae biofuel is unsustainable and/or non-economically viable. For at-scale algae or other biofuel potentials that depend on finite critical resources, there really isn't any foreseeable potential.
What is algae biofuel?
Many types of algae can be used and processed to become a biofuel. Biofuel is a fuel made from living things, or the waste of a living thing, also known as biomass.
How to turn algae into biofuel?
Algae into Biofuel. To convert algae to a biofuel, several steps need to be taken. Growing Algae: Growing the algae using sunlight, carbon dioxide and nutrients. Harvesting algae: Harvesting the algae from the growing cycle. Dewatering Algae: Removing the water from the algae by a process called dewatering. Oil Separation: Extracting the oil ...
Is bioethanol a biofuel?
Both biodiesel and bioethanol are developing biofuels. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from seed oils. Bioethanol is an alcohol made from algae, corn, sugar cane or other sugar containing feedstock. It is usually blended with gasoline and used in internal combustion engines.
Why are algae biofuels important?
The high growth rates, reasonable growth densities and high oil contents have all been cited as reasons to invest significant capital to turn algae into biofuels. However, for algae to mature as an economically viable platform to offset petroleum and, consequently, mitigate CO2release, there are a number of hurdles to overcome ranging from how and where to grow these algae, to improving oil extraction and fuel processing. The algal biofuels production chain is outlined in Figure 3and shows that the major challenges include strain isolation, nutrient sourcing and utilization, production management, harvesting, coproduct development, fuel extraction, refining and residual biomass utilization.
How to maximize algae biofuel sustainability?
To maximize algae biofuel sustainability, nutrients must be recycled
How do microalgae benefit the environment?
This can reduce processes that take years in crop plants, down to a few months in algae. Algae have a reduced impact on the environment compared with terrestrial sources of biomass used for biofuels [9]. They can be grown on land that would not be used for traditional agricultural, and are very efficient at removing nutrients from water. Thus, not only would production of algae biofuels minimize land use compared with biofuels produced from terrestrial plants but, in the process of culturing these microalgae, waste streams can be remediated. Potential waste streams include municipal wastewater to remove nitrates and phosphates before discharge, and flue gas of coal or other combustible-based power plants to capture sulfates and CO2[22–24]. Algae production strains also have the potential to be bioengineered, allowing improvement of specific traits [25,26] and production of valuable co-products, which may allow algal biofuels to compete economically with petroleum. These characteristics make algae a platform with a high potential to produce cost-competitive biofuels.
What is the best way to grow algae?
Water is potentially a major limiting factor in algal growth. Expansion of algal growth into nonarable land will require water; fortunately, many of these regions have substantial alkaline or saline water reservoirs beneath them, providing a significant source of nonpotable water that is suitable for growth of many algal species. Perhaps surprisingly, algae grown in open ponds have water requirements per unit area similar to that of cotton or wheat, but less than that of corn, to replenish the water lost in evaporation (for an overview of water requirements of terrestrial plants used in biofuel production see [33]). It is imperative when considering broad deployment of algae, to consider water use to avoid a future ‘water versus fuel’ debate. Although substantial alkaline reserves are available, water will remain a central issue for algae biofuels production and will need to be considered carefully as the industry expands.
What is the red line for algal fuel?
A combination of factors is expected to be required for algal fuels (red line) to become cost competitive with petroleum (green line: limited petroleum supply, resulting in increased costs; blue line: business as usual scenario)
Why is sulfur important for algal growth?
Sulfur, in addition to its key role in the electron transport chain, is also required for protein synthesis and lipid metabolism. Sulfur deficiency has been shown to limit algal density and stunt growth [51]. Thus, it seems likely that sulfur will be important for optimal algal growth, and cost/benefit analysis will need to be considered to determine the optimal amount of sulfur to add to the media for the best economic return.
How much phosphate is needed for algae?
Phosphorous makes up slightly less then 1% of total algal biomass and is required at approximately 0.03–0.06% in the medium to sustain algal growth. Fertilizers in the USA used for agriculture currently contain a less than optimal concentration of phosphate owing to limited supplies. Presently, less than 40 million tons of phosphate is mined from the USA annually, and the maximum phosphate production from this mining peaked in the late 1980s. If algal biofuels are to completely replace petroleum in the USA, an additional 53 million tons of phosphate must be acquired annually. This is a significant challenge, given that the total amount of phosphate in the USA is estimated to be approximately 2.8 billion tons. This leaves few options other then efficient recycling the phosphate back into the algae ponds or significantly increasing mining output, a prospect that would seem to provide a temporary solution at best.
What is biofuel?
Biofuel is a renewable energy source produced from biomass, which can be used as a substitute for petroleum fuels. The benefits of biofuels over traditional fuels include greater energy security, reduced environmental impact, foreign exchange savings, and ü socioeconomic issues [5], [6], [7].
How do algae farms work?
Fig. 1 shows the open pond systems “algae farms”. The “algae farms” are large ponds. The ponds are “raceway” designs, in which the algae, water and nutrients circulate around a racetrack. Paddlewheels provide the flow. The algae are thus kept suspended in water. Algae are circulated back up to the surface on a regular frequency. The ponds are kept shallow because of the need to keep the algae exposed to sunlight and the limited depth to which sunlight can penetrate the pond water. The ponds are operated continuously; that is, water and nutrients are constantly fed to the pond, while algae-containing water is removed at the other end. The size of these ponds is measured in terms of surface area, since surface area is so critical to capturing sunlight. Their productivity is measured in terms of biomass produced per day per unit of available surface area. Such algae farms would be based on the use of open, shallow ponds in which some source of waste CO 2 could be efficiently bubbled into the ponds and captured by the algae. Careful control of pH and other physical conditions for introducing CO 2 into the ponds allowed greater than 90% utilization of injected CO 2. Raceway ponds, usually lined with plastic or cement, are about 15–35 cm deep to ensure adequate exposure to sunlight. They are typically mixed with paddlewheels, are usually lined with plastic or cement, and are between 0.2 and 0.5 hectares in size. Paddlewheels provide motive force and keep the algae suspended in the water. The ponds are supplied with water and nutrients, and mature algae are continuously removed at one end [22].
How are hydrocarbons separated from algal cells?
Main thermochemical processes include liquefaction, pyrolysis and gasification. Hydrocarbons of algal cells have been separated by extraction with organic solvent after freeze–drying and sonicating the algal cells. However, these procedures are not suitable for separation on a large scale because these are costly. Therefore, an effective method is liquefaction for separating hydrocarbons as liquid fuel from harvested algal cells with high moisture content. The direct thermochemical liquefaction can convert wet biomass such as wood and sewage sludge to liquid fuel at around 575 K and 10 MPa using catalyst such as sodium carbonate [68]. At the same time, the liquid oil can be easily separated [69].
How are nutrients provided to microalgae?
Nutrients can be provided through runoff water from nearby land areas or by channelling the water from sewage/water treatment plant s. Microalgae cultivation using sunlight energy can be carried out in open or covered ponds or closed photobioreactors. Algal cultures consist of a single or several specific strains optimized for producing the desired product. Water, necessary nutrients and CO 2 are provided in a controlled way, while oxygen has to be removed [10]. Algae receive sunlight either directly through the transparent container walls or via light fibers or tubes that channel it from sunlight collectors. A great amount of developmental work to optimize different photobioreactor systems for algae cultivation has been carried out and is reviewed [11], [12], [13], [14].
What are the two types of algae?
There are two main populations of algae: filamentous and phytoplankton algae. They are categorized into four main classes: diatoms, green algae, blue–green algae and golden algae.
How do open ponds work?
Open ponds are the oldest and simplest systems for mass cultivation of microalgae. The pond is designed in a raceway configuration, in which a paddlewheel circulates and mixes the algal cells and nutrients. The raceways are typically made from poured concrete, or they are simply dug into the earth and lined with a plastic liner to prevent the ground from soaking up the liquid. Baffles in the channel guide the flow around the bends in order to minimize space. The system is often operated in a continuous mode, i.e., the fresh feed is added in front of the paddlewheel, and algal broth is harvested behind the paddlewheel after it has circulated through the loop.
What is liquid biofuel?
Liquid biofuels are alternative fuels promoted with potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports. Biofuels production costs can vary widely by feedstock, conversion process, scale of production and region. Algae will become the most important biofuel source in the near future. Microalgae appear to be the only source ...
What are the benefits of algae based biofuels?
Algae-based biofuels hold enormous potential for helping reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In a study released last year, the Department’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that 17 percent of the United States’ imported oil for transportation could be replaced with homegrown, algae-based biofuels.
What is the energy that algae converts to?
Algae are small aquatic organisms that convert sunlight into energy. With more than 100,000 different species, algae are among the most diverse groups of organisms on earth. The key to algae’s potential as a renewable fuel source lies in the way they store energy.
Why do humans use algae?
Humans use algae as food for the production of useful compounds, as bio filters to remove. nutrients and other pollutants from wastewaters, to assay water qualit y, as indicators of. environmental change in space technology and as laboratory research systems. Algae are.
How do algal strains improve biomass?
Algal biomass refineries for sustainable transportation fuels, in particular biodiesel, will benefit from algal strain enhancements to improve biomass and lipid productivity. Specifically, the supply of inorganic carbon to microalgal cultures represents an area of great interest due to the potential for improved growth of microalgae and the possibility for incorporation with CO2 mitigation processes. Combinations of bicarbonate (HCO3⁻) salt addition and application of CO2 to control pH have shown compelling increases in growth rate and lipid productivity of fresh water algae. Here, focus was placed on the marine organism, Nannochloropsis gaditana, to investigate growth and lipid accumulation under various strategies of enhanced inorganic carbon supply. Three gas application strategies were investigated: continuous sparging of atmospheric air, continuous sparging of 5% CO2 during light hours until nitrogen depletion, and continuous sparging of atmospheric air supplemented with 5% CO2 for pH control between 8.0 and 8.3. These gas sparging schemes were combined with addition of low concentrations (5 mM) of sodium bicarbonate at inoculation and high concentration (50 mM) of sodium bicarbonate amendments just prior to nitrogen depletion. The optimum scenario observed for growth of N. gaditana under these inorganic carbon conditions was controlling pH with 5% CO2 on demand, which increased both growth rate and lipid accumulation. Fatty acid methyl esters were primarily comprised of C16:0 (palmitic) and C16:1 (palmitoleic) aliphatic chains. Additionally, the use of high concentration (50 mM) of bicarbonate amendments further improved lipid content (up to 48.6%) under nitrogen deplete conditions when paired with pH-controlled strategies.
What are the factors that determine the best area for algae production?
the most appropriate area for algae production in the United States, man y factors must be. considered; such as land, sun exposure, water, CO 2 sources, temperature, evaporation and. susceptibility to severe weather. Since the most effective form of microalgae cultivation is.
What are the raw water characteristics of a water treatment plant in Korea?
The raw water characteristics of a water treatment plant in Korea are mainly dependent on two major factors: the clay particles attributed to rainfall and blue-green algae in reservoirs . In this work, zeta potential and particle size distributions of clay and algae particles, which are the important parameters affecting their removal efficiency, were measured to investigate the behavior and removal characteristics of particles under various conditions. The results showed that the zeta potential of blue-green algae was more sensitive to treatment conditions than clay, and it fluctuated highly with coagulant dosage, suggesting that the control of zeta potential is important for effective removal of algae particles. On the other hand, the range of particle size distribution that remained from the preliminary sedimentation tank was generally smaller than for flotation. However, the zeta potential of the remaining particles was either close to the isoelectric point or positive, and the particles were not so hard to remove for that reason. In the final analysis, for simultaneous removal of clay and algae particles, a sufficient zeta potential difference must be formed not only for algae particles but also for small clay particles from the sedimentation tank in the dissolved air flotation process.
How many groups of algae are there?
According to their habitat algae are classified into seven groups.
What is gasoline released by?
such as gasoline by simply releasing energy when burned.
Why is gasoline better than other fuels?
with gasoline improves performances and fuel combustion in vehicles. A more efficient
How Efficient Are Algae Biofuels?
Studies testing different ratios of traditional diesel fuel mixed with algae biodiesel have shown that blends of 30% biofuel are slightly more efficient compared to diesel fuel. 5
What is the best way to grow algae for biodiesel?
Open-Pond Growing. One of the easiest processes to understand, open-pond growing is also the most natural way to cultivate algae for biodiesel production. As its name implies, algae are grown on open ponds in this method, particularly in very warm and sunny parts of the globe, with the hope of maximizing production.
What is biodiesel made of?
Making Biodiesel From Algae. Lori Weaver is a freelance writer covering renewable fuel and green transport technologies, as well as food and feed issues in the agricultural sector. An attractive candidate for full-scale biodiesel production, algae is easy to produce and requires less land than many other plant sources commonly used for making fuels.
What is the process of growing algae?
Vertical Growth. Another method for growing algae is a vertical growth or closed-loop production system . This process came about as biofuel companies sought to produce algae faster and more efficiently than they could with pond growth.
How to remove lipids from algae?
Not surprisingly, there are numerous ways to remove the lipids, or oils, from the walls of algae cells. But you may be surprised to learn that none of them are particularly earth-shaking methods. For example, ever hear of an olive press? One of the ways for extracting oil from algae works very much like the technique used in an oil press. This is the simplest and most common method for extracting oil from algae and yields about 75% of the total available oil from the algae plant.
How to extract oil from algae?
One of the ways for extracting oil from algae works very much like the technique used in an oil press. This is the simplest and most common method for extracting oil from algae and yields about 75% of the total available oil from the algae plant. Another common method is the hexane solvent method. When combined with the oil press method, this step ...
What is the process of algae producing oxygen?
The term “algae” covers a diverse array of aquatic organisms that are capable of producing oxygen through photosynthesis (absorbing light from the sun and CO2, turning them into energy and carbohydrates).
How does algae help the atmosphere?
Growing algae in such mass quantities also could positively affect the atmosphere by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
What is the lipid in a pond?
When extracted the lipids are called biocrude. That makes organisms such as microalgae an attractive form of biomass, organic matter that can be used as a sustainable fuel source. These lipids are also found in a variety of other single-cell organisms such as yeasts used in cheese processing. But the problem with using algae for biomass has always been the amount of energy it takes to pull the lipids or biocrude from the watery plants. Under current methods, it takes more energy to turn algae into biocrude than the amount of energy you get back out of it.
Can algae be turned into oil?
Biofuel experts have long sought a more economically viable way to turn algae into biocrude oil to power vehicles, ships and even jets. University of Utah researchers believe they have found an answer. They have developed an unusually rapid method to deliver cost-effective algal biocrude in large quantities using a specially-designed jet mixer.
