Download Algae: The New Biofuel

Algae- Green as It Gets
Lindsey Rae Gjording
What is Algae?
Necessities of Life
Oil Extraction Methods
Algae as a Fuel: Biodiesel and
Hydrogen
Pros and Cons
What is algae?
A large and diverse group of simple,
usually autotrophic organisms that can
have either unicellular or multicellular
forms.
Hype and more hype
Algae can produce up to 15 times more oil
per acre than all other plants used for biofuel
Algae can double its volume overnight
It would take an algae farm the size of Texas
to produce enough hydrogen to meet the
world’s energy needs
What algae needs to grow
Carbon dioxide
Sunlight
Water
Cyanobacteria
Oil Extraction Methods
Oil Press Method
Hexane Solvent Method
Supercritical Fluid Extraction
Enzymatic Extraction
Ultrasonic Assisted Extraction
Oil Press Method:
Ultrasonic assisted extraction
The Process
Ultrasonic waves are used to create
cavitation bubbles in a solvent material
 When the bubbles collapse near cell
walls they create shock waves and
liquid jets that cause the cell walls to
break and the oil to be released into the
solvent
Algae as Fuel: Biodiesel
The lipid oil is converted into biodiesel.
Easiest way is with the oil press.
Algae as Fuel: Biological
Hydrogen
C. reinhardtii, when deprived of sulfur,
will switch from producing oxygen to
produce hydrogen.
Due to an enzyme within called
hydrogenase, which is activated when
algae’s internal oxygen flow is
interrupted.
Pros
Versatility in growth methods
Versatility in uses
Speed of production
Potential for huge production levels
CO2 reduction
Cons
Energy intensive
Not competitive against foreign oil (yet)
Needs funding
Technology not ready