jkund17
Algae can indeed solve the fuel problem!
We all have heard about this before, but I am sure most if us really don't know how the algae based biofuels work.
Well in simple language here it is,
It produces lots of lipids and depending on the species sometimes 50% of its body weight is lipids.
Certain algae can be selceted that are suited fro producing diesel used in trucks and can save the amount of pollutants released in air when using conventional petroleum based diesel.
When in a horizontal surface, like a lake or a pond, the growth of algae is restricted and soon once the upper layer is covered with the green mass, the sunlight is blocked and the algae cannot grow to its maximum denstiy. Now read carefully, even here algae can produce up to 20,000 gallons of oil per year!
An acre of corn can produce 18 gallons of oil/year,Palm oil produces 700-800 gallons/acre.
So, unquestionably algae is much much more efficient as a bio fuel than any other alternative.
Also, what remains after extracting the oil, can be used as feed stock for animals, as a component of fertilizer, and even to produce even more biofuel. So everything os of use, no waste, no pullutants at all!
Certain companies have developed a system called the vertigro system that uses a vertical shaped bioreacter fro growing algea. This helps in increasing the surface area and thus increasing the amount of algae growing, increasing the co2 consumption and increasing the fuel produced.
algae tubes
Algae can actually solve the energy crisis any day if seriuosly taken into consideration.
This slimy greeny cover deserves a little more respect from all of us.
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I did a post ont his a while ago and am glad to hear that since then the research is proving viable and more and more profitable.
A couple of years ago the harvesting techniques were the main cause of profit loss ... some 10% lost in collecting the hydrogen itself. The other problem being that at night the algae converts all the hydrogen into sugar to keep itself alive in the dark?
I'll come back and offer you a link to that post, when I have time to find it, if you are interested?
Great step forward, no doubts.
Lilla ...
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moviebuff
I agree there is the problem of hydrogen being converted to sugar in the dark, but I believe there is some research going in that area and something as simple as keeping the area illuminated 24 hours can actually help curb this problem...
I will let you know when i find some more new on the subject...
thanks for the comment