Oilgae Blog - The Latest from the World of Algae Fuels
Snell Works on Seaweed Ulva for CO2 Sequestration
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Snell, a Woolwich resident, is studying the rate at which sea lettuce ulva lactuca can biologically gobble up carbon dioxide
The academic project began early in his junior year at Wiscasset High and continued through the summer at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay Harbor, before Snell returned to the research during his senior year.
"I've been working on this project for two years," he told The Times Record on Thursday.
Snell wants to carry his project through college — he's been offered healthy scholarship packages to attend the University of Maine and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. His ultimate goal is to develop a state-of-the-art photobioreactor with what he learns.
That is, he wants to design an organic system that limits the carbon dioxide emissions of polluting factories.
"I hope to be able to use the research to create a photobioreactor for industrial facilities," explained Snell. "The emissions could be bubbled up through the water and sea lettuce, which would remove the carbon dioxide."
The academic project began early in his junior year at Wiscasset High and continued through the summer at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay Harbor, before Snell returned to the research during his senior year.
"I've been working on this project for two years," he told The Times Record on Thursday.
Snell wants to carry his project through college — he's been offered healthy scholarship packages to attend the University of Maine and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. His ultimate goal is to develop a state-of-the-art photobioreactor with what he learns.
That is, he wants to design an organic system that limits the carbon dioxide emissions of polluting factories.
"I hope to be able to use the research to create a photobioreactor for industrial facilities," explained Snell. "The emissions could be bubbled up through the water and sea lettuce, which would remove the carbon dioxide."
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Labels: Algae-Fuel-Research
Algenol and Sapphire Energy Pursue Algae as Fuel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Algenol Biofuels and Sapphire Energy still shows some progress in Algae Fuel Industry.
The latter, which rapidly raised over $100 million in venture capital last year, was recently involved in a test flight by Continental Airlines. Trying out biofuels in jets has become a popular PR move over the past few months, but they’re generally crop-based fuels. But Sapphire managed to provide half of a fuel mix for a Boeing 737 in a successful flight.
Sapphire is worth keeping an eye on mainly because it recently drew so much attention from investors. The company hasn’t talked extensively about its technology, although it did tell me last year that it will grow exotic strains of algae in open ponds of otherwise unusable water.
Algenol, on the other hand, appears to be moving along at a faster clip. The company claimed last year that it would be able to produce a billion gallons a year of algal biofuel by 2012. After that sort of announcement, and given the history of boastful algae companies, it seemed far more likely the outfit would quietly disappear.
The latter, which rapidly raised over $100 million in venture capital last year, was recently involved in a test flight by Continental Airlines. Trying out biofuels in jets has become a popular PR move over the past few months, but they’re generally crop-based fuels. But Sapphire managed to provide half of a fuel mix for a Boeing 737 in a successful flight.
Sapphire is worth keeping an eye on mainly because it recently drew so much attention from investors. The company hasn’t talked extensively about its technology, although it did tell me last year that it will grow exotic strains of algae in open ponds of otherwise unusable water.
Algenol, on the other hand, appears to be moving along at a faster clip. The company claimed last year that it would be able to produce a billion gallons a year of algal biofuel by 2012. After that sort of announcement, and given the history of boastful algae companies, it seemed far more likely the outfit would quietly disappear.
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies
Cellular Optics for Open Pond Algae Cultivation
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Researcher Tasios Melis argues that a larger chlorophyll antenna helps the organism compete for sunlight absorption and survive in the wild, where sunlight is often limited but is detrimental to the engineering-driven effort of using algae to convert sunlight into biofuel.
Besides getting the algae to convert more sunlight to fuel, another issue that needs to be addressed is how to configure bio-culture tanks in such a way that sunlight can penetrate the outer layer of algae so that lower-down layers can also participate in the photo-conversion. Melis calls the overall effort to maximize the efficiency of the solar-to-product conversion process with microalgae, “cellular optics.”
Tasios Melis Said “Further improvement in the performance of photosynthesis under mass culture conditions, and in the yield of ‘biofuels’ by the microalgae are needed before cost parity with traditional fuels can be achieved.”
Besides getting the algae to convert more sunlight to fuel, another issue that needs to be addressed is how to configure bio-culture tanks in such a way that sunlight can penetrate the outer layer of algae so that lower-down layers can also participate in the photo-conversion. Melis calls the overall effort to maximize the efficiency of the solar-to-product conversion process with microalgae, “cellular optics.”
Tasios Melis Said “Further improvement in the performance of photosynthesis under mass culture conditions, and in the yield of ‘biofuels’ by the microalgae are needed before cost parity with traditional fuels can be achieved.”
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Labels: Algae-Fuel-Research
Indian Minister Jairam Ramesh says Algae - A Super-critical Technology
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The minister was speaking at the inauguration of a CEO forum associated with the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
Pointing out that India was already facing huge problems in areas like water supply and agriculture, Ramesh said: "Domestic imperatives should force us to look at the climate change far more seriously than we have."
The power ministry, he added, was already moving from "sub-critical to super-critical technology, which will reduce coal consumption" and described a new technique by which "we will capture carbon dioxide from flue (exhaust) gases (at power stations) and use it to produce micro-algae that in turn will produce oil".
Pointing out that India was already facing huge problems in areas like water supply and agriculture, Ramesh said: "Domestic imperatives should force us to look at the climate change far more seriously than we have."
The power ministry, he added, was already moving from "sub-critical to super-critical technology, which will reduce coal consumption" and described a new technique by which "we will capture carbon dioxide from flue (exhaust) gases (at power stations) and use it to produce micro-algae that in turn will produce oil".
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Phycal harvests oil from algae without killing it!
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The algae fuel company Phycal is trying to harvest oil from algae without killing the algae. Instead, Phycal bathes the algae in solvents which can suck out the oil. Some strains of algae can go through the process four times or more.
That's interesting.
The Oilgae Academic Edition gives more detailed insights on algal harvesting techniques.
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Algae was Criticized by Leading Thinkers on Biodiesel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.This week, the country's leading thinkers on biodiesel are in San Francisco for the 2009 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo. Some of the highlights include:
One of the more cost effective places to grow biodiesel in the country could be the side of the road, according to Dallas Hanks from Utah State University. He heads up a project called Freeways to Fuel to study the feasibility of planting crops in the 30-foot wide shoulder next to roads.
The key is that the land would essentially be free. In the U.S. there are approximately 10 million acres lining 4 million miles of road that could be planted with oil seed crops, he said. There's another 1 million acres alongside the 140,000 miles of railroad right-of-ways.
Algae was criticized by some attendees for requiring too much water. An expert at the show said algae could still be four to five years away.
One of the more cost effective places to grow biodiesel in the country could be the side of the road, according to Dallas Hanks from Utah State University. He heads up a project called Freeways to Fuel to study the feasibility of planting crops in the 30-foot wide shoulder next to roads.
The key is that the land would essentially be free. In the U.S. there are approximately 10 million acres lining 4 million miles of road that could be planted with oil seed crops, he said. There's another 1 million acres alongside the 140,000 miles of railroad right-of-ways.
Algae was criticized by some attendees for requiring too much water. An expert at the show said algae could still be four to five years away.
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation
Algae Biodiesel Costs 33$ a Gallon
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Although many believe that algae will become one of the chief feedstocks for diesel and even hydrocarbon-like fuels, growing large amounts of algae and then converting the single-celled creatures remains expensive, said experts at the National Biodiesel Conference taking place in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Algae biofuel startup Solix, for instance, can produce biofuel from algae right now, but it costs about $32.81 a gallon, said Bryan Wilson, a co-founder of the company and a professor at Colorado State University. The production cost is high because of the energy required to circulate gases and other materials inside the photo bioreactors where the algae grow. It also takes energy to dry out the biomass, and Solix uses far less water than other companies
By exploiting waste heat at adjacent utilities , the price can probably be brought down to $5.50 a gallon . By selling the proteins and other byproducts from the algae for pet food, the price can be brought to $3.50 a gallon in the near term.But that's still the equivalent of $150 a barrel of oil.
Algae biofuel startup Solix, for instance, can produce biofuel from algae right now, but it costs about $32.81 a gallon, said Bryan Wilson, a co-founder of the company and a professor at Colorado State University. The production cost is high because of the energy required to circulate gases and other materials inside the photo bioreactors where the algae grow. It also takes energy to dry out the biomass, and Solix uses far less water than other companies
By exploiting waste heat at adjacent utilities , the price can probably be brought down to $5.50 a gallon . By selling the proteins and other byproducts from the algae for pet food, the price can be brought to $3.50 a gallon in the near term.But that's still the equivalent of $150 a barrel of oil.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Energy-Cost
Bionavitas Inc. Grows Algae In Fertllizer Run Off
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Bionavitas Inc. in Redmond, Washington, has a tricked out proposition for growing algae for biofuels.
Step one. Find a pond polluted with agricultural fertilizer, and toss in some algae.
Problem: Our algae love all the nitrogen in that lake, and they are growing like crazy. But, once the algae covers the surface of the pool, the sunlight is blocked, so no microflora can grow below the top layer.
Solution: Take some glass rods and partially stick them into the soupy mess, leaving their top ends exposed. When sunlight lands on the ends of the rods, at the surface of the water, the light travels down the glass and disperses into the water as it goes, thus providing our deeper algae-brethren with an internal, solar light source.
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies
Patent Applications for Algae Technologies Increases
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Algae may have finally arrived if the rising number of patent applications for algae technologies is any indication. The growth in algae has been spurred by its potential to provide an abundant and sustainable feedstock for fuels, biomaterials, feed and other products. Major investments in algae technologies have been made by the U.S. government, research universities and venture capital firms, driving algae from a backwater topic a few years ago to a major player today.
In 1988, there were only four international patent applications published having the word “algae” in their abstract, as compared to 37 in 1998 and more than 90 during 2008. Similarly, only three U.S. patents were issued in 1988 containing the words “algae” and “bioreactor” somewhere in their text, as compared to 22 in 1998 and 51 in 2008. This can mean longer processing times and higher costs because all these new filings in a field that was previously uneventful add to the inevitable backlog that exists in the course of getting patent applications to the point of actually being examined and issued. For instance, a new “art unit” dealing with chemical separation and purification (including algae bioreactors) was recently formed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in order to coalesce what had been several different examination groups. Though this reorganization might make sense in the long run, the immediate result will likely further delay the examination of new applications concerned with algae and similar technologies.
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Labels: Algae-Fuel-Research
Solazyme Differs from its Competitors for its Algae Strains
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Solazyme is most strikingly different from its competitors for the fact that its organisms produce not just transportation fuels, but also other consumer products-a way to diversify their business and leverage high-cost goods against the low price bar set for fuels.
Dillon started Solazyme with some colleagues in 2003 , and kept a culture collection of a couple hundred Chlamydomonas strains in his own low-tech facility. "We bought the growth media, sterilized it in my kitchen, and stored it in the garage," he remembers.
They tried to grow the algae in outdoor ponds, but quickly realized that the productivity of the algae was nowhere near high enough to yield appreciable amounts of fuel. So they switched to heterotrophic species of algae, which directly consume carbon-based compounds rather than passively absorbing carbon dioxide from surrounding media.
Dillon says that he expects Solazyme to be producing algal biofuel at "demonstration levels of tens to thousands of gallons" per day by 2009, and aims to be producing its fuel products at commercial levels by 2011. "The scalability is not something that frightens me too much," he says.
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Dillon started Solazyme with some colleagues in 2003 , and kept a culture collection of a couple hundred Chlamydomonas strains in his own low-tech facility. "We bought the growth media, sterilized it in my kitchen, and stored it in the garage," he remembers.
They tried to grow the algae in outdoor ponds, but quickly realized that the productivity of the algae was nowhere near high enough to yield appreciable amounts of fuel. So they switched to heterotrophic species of algae, which directly consume carbon-based compounds rather than passively absorbing carbon dioxide from surrounding media.
Dillon says that he expects Solazyme to be producing algal biofuel at "demonstration levels of tens to thousands of gallons" per day by 2009, and aims to be producing its fuel products at commercial levels by 2011. "The scalability is not something that frightens me too much," he says.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Strains
Biofuels: The Next Generation - Algae
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The third generation of biofuels comes in the form of the water-based plants known as algae. The ability to transform algae into a biofuel is a burgeoning science, and could hold the future of the biofuel industry, although not without some hurdles to leap over first.
The algae oil specialists say that the hexane solvent method requires the use of chemicals, such as hexane, benzene and ether. The downsides to using these solvents include the hazard of an explosion, as well as the risk that benzene is classified as a carcinogen.Finally, the supercritical fluid extraction method can draw out up to nearly 100 percent of the oils. In this process, CO2 is pressurized and heated until it is both a gas and a liquid, at which point it is mixed with algae, removing the oil. The fact that this method requires additional complex machinery to create the pressure has detracted from its popularity.
The primary downside to using algal biofuels is that they are not economical to produce, at least not with current technology. EERE says, "Based on conservative estimates, algal biofuels produced in large volumes with current technology would cost more than US$8 per gallon (in contrast to US$4 per gallon for soybean oil today)."
According to EERE, to lower the cost of production, research must focus on a number of sectors, including controlled mass cultivation, algae for wastewater treatment, and harvesting and oil extraction technologies. The group says, "Particular attention must be paid to the engineering of sustainable microalgal systems and to the regulatory and environmental landscape."
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Oil-Extraction
Aquaflow Refines Crude oil From Algae in Sewage Ponds
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Although only about 200 to 300 has been produced at American process technology company UOP LLC's Chicago laboratory, Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation's algae fuel now has an important 12 months ahead, said Aquaflow director Nick Gerritsen. This is an good approach to harness energy from waste.
This year the firm will work on upscaling its production to produce commercial volumes of the fuel, he said, and aim towards a test flight later in the year.
"We're doing our best to get our solution out into the market ASAP as the world needs it."
Aquaflow creates crude oil from refining wild algae formed at Blenheim's waste-water treatment ponds. It is then refined to produce synthetic paraffinic kerosene, an essential component in jet fuel.
The "Green Crude" algae fuel is a next-generation fuel that falls outside the food versus fuel debate, said Mr Gerritsen, referring to the controversy regarding the risk of converting farmland for biofuel production to the detriment of the global food supply.
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Labels: Algae-Aviation-Fuel, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage, Algae-Energy-Companies
Primafuel, Converting Algae to Green Gasoline
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"Algae can be used to make food, to produce pharmaceuticals, to combat disease and to create plastics," says Rahul Iyer, a founder of the California-based Primafuel company. "And it can also be used to make low-carbon automotive fuels."
According to Iyer, Primafuel's fertilizers are made from waste biomass, including grass clippings and woody residue. The biomass is converted into nitrogen-bearing ammonia, which is high in nitrogen. Since ammonia is usually produced from natural gas and coal, the process is a big improvement on business as usual. "We think it can help reduce the carbon intensity of all agriculture," Iyer said.
The fact that algae can make the desert bloom helps explain Primafuel's partnership with the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Israel's Ben-Gurion University. "Algae research was once considered the fringe of the fringe, but finally the world has come to see its incredible potential," says Professor Sammy Boussiba of the Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory at the Institutes.
Algae can be made into many useful products, including motor fuels. (Primafuel photo)Primafuel produces algae in what Iyer describes as a "low-input" process. Instead of starting with a fat or sugar that takes energy to produce, it grows algae in shallow, open ponds. The algae are "fed" sunlight, carbon dioxide and small amounts of "green" fertilizer (less than is required for growing crops).
According to Iyer, Primafuel's fertilizers are made from waste biomass, including grass clippings and woody residue. The biomass is converted into nitrogen-bearing ammonia, which is high in nitrogen. Since ammonia is usually produced from natural gas and coal, the process is a big improvement on business as usual. "We think it can help reduce the carbon intensity of all agriculture," Iyer said.
The fact that algae can make the desert bloom helps explain Primafuel's partnership with the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Israel's Ben-Gurion University. "Algae research was once considered the fringe of the fringe, but finally the world has come to see its incredible potential," says Professor Sammy Boussiba of the Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory at the Institutes.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies
Milton Sommerfeld says Algae Commercialization will take 10 Years
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The 40-year veteran ASU professor and algologist has spent more than two decades nurturing the idea of extracting biofuel from algae.
“I think it’s going to be one of the alternatives,” Sommerfeld said, standing on a balcony overlooking a plot of land punctuated by giant vats bubbling with the stuff at ASU Polytechnic campus in Mesa.Sommerfeld toiled through the 1980s with modest funding, staff and equipment.These days, with the national consciousness greener than ever, he’s a bit better off.
“I think it’s going to be one of the alternatives,” Sommerfeld said, standing on a balcony overlooking a plot of land punctuated by giant vats bubbling with the stuff at ASU Polytechnic campus in Mesa.Sommerfeld toiled through the 1980s with modest funding, staff and equipment.These days, with the national consciousness greener than ever, he’s a bit better off.
ASU Professor and Algologist Milton Sommerfeld exhibits the vats of algae in his lab at the Polytechnic Campus in Chandler. Here, he and his staff tests how algae grow at different temperatures.The work of Sommerfield and Qiang Hu, co-directors of the Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology, or LARB, was recently recognized by Time Magazine as one of the top-20 inventions of 2008. And a $3 million investment, half from financier group Heliae Development LLC and half from Science Foundation Arizona, is helping expand the venture into a viable industry poised to generate algal jet fuel.
“We’re creating an environment for (algae) to grow in an exceptionally fast way,” Sommerfeld said.Small lamps try different light and heat levels on test tubes of algae inside the lab. On a fenced field outside, scaled up versions — 10-yard-long panels and 8-foot-high cylinders — experiment with outside growth.
Once the vats are full with algae, workers collect it, said John Brock, who coordinates the outside lab.“We literally scrape the algae out and take it over to the laboratory (inside),” Brock said.There, it’s centrifuged and a green powder called algal biomass is left behind.The algal oil is extracted from the biomass, leaving behind a high-carbohydrate, protein-rich white powder that can be used for fertilizer or animal feed and is even being looked at as a human food source.
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Labels: Algae-Fuel-Research
