Algae Cultures to BiofuelsHeather Sommers

Molluscan AquacultureApril 25th, 2007

Overview

What is Algae Basics Types Importance

Making algae into a fuel source Biodiesel

History Hydrogen

History Biomass

How to Culture

What is Algae?

Algae Simple plant Most live in water Photosynthetic

Capture light energy Convert inorganic to organic matter

Nonvascular Use lipids and oils to help float in water Range from small, single-celled species to complex

multicellular species, such as the giant kelps

Types

Red Algae Benthic Macro

Green Algae Chlorophyll a and b Plants Freshwater

Brown Algae Benthic Macro Kelp Marine

Diatoms Single celled Silica cell wall

Blue Green Algae Vertical migration Fix N2 from air

Freshwater

Dinoflagellates Toxic; suck out O2

Cause red tides Organic matter

Background

Location Most habitats

How many Over 36,000 species

How does it feed? Photosynthesis All have chlorophyll

Uses food, fertilizer, foodstock, pharmaceutical, pollution

control, water treatment, dyes, agar, Fuels

Biodiesel History

From 1978 to 1996 the U.S. Department of Energy funded a program to develop renewable transportation fuels from algae The main focus of the program was known as

the Aquatic Species Program (or ASP) Production of biodiesel from high lipid-content

algae grown in ponds Utilized waste CO2 from coal fired power plants

(Department of Energy. 1996)

Why make it a fuel?

Algae can be used to make biodiesel Produces large amounts oil

When compared to terrestrial crops grown for the same purpose Algae contain anywhere between 2% and 40% of lipids/oils by

weight Once harvested, this oil can be converted into fuels for

transportation, aviation or heating High growth rate and easy to grow

Warm Seasons Amphora sp. Tetraselmis suecica

Cold Seasons Monoraphidium minutum

Use of diatoms and green algae

Harvesting Biodiesel

Microalgae have much faster growth-rates than terrestrial crops Algal-oil processes into biodiesel as easily as oil derived from land-

based crops Use microalgae

Less complex structure Faster growing rate High oil content

How to harvest Open-pond systems

Can be difficult Type of algae has to be hardy Can be less hardy and grow slower

Use Bioreactor Tubes Use existing infrastructures

Provides the raw materials for the system, such as CO2 and nutrients Changes those wastes into resources.

(Solix BioFuels. 2006)

Factories

(Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies Ltd. 2007)

How to get oil

Expeller/Press Algae is dried Oil content can be "pressed" out with an oil press Extracts 70-75% of the oils out of algae

Hexane Solvent Method Uses chemicals (such as hexane and methanol) Can be harmful and explosive  Cold press & hexane solvent = extract 95% of oil

Supercritical Fluid Extraction CO2 is liquefied under pressure and heated to the point that it

has the properties of both a liquid and gas This liquefied fluid then acts as the solvent in extracting the oil Can Extract almost 100% of the oils Expensive equipment 

Oil Yield

Gallons of Oil per Acre per Year

Corn . . . . . . . 15

Soybeans . . . .48

Safflower. . . . . 83

Sunflower . . . 102

Rapeseed. . . 127

Oil Palm . . . . 635

Micro Algae . .1850 [based on actual biomass yields]

Micro Algae . .5000-15000 [theoretical laboratory yield]

Cultivating Algae for Liquid Fuel Production (http://oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm); 2005

Other Uses

Hydrogen Algae can be grown to produce hydrogen

Discovered first in 1939 by Hans Gaffrom Late 1990’s it was found that if sulfur deprived,

algae will produce hydrogen

Biomass Algae can be grown to produce biomass

Burned to produce heat and electricity Can still produce greenhouse gases

Biomass Yield

Metric Tons per Hectare per Year

Algae.....51.1 [USA average, 1978]

Sugarcane.....79.2 [Brazilian average, 2005]

Sorghum.....70 [India average, 2005]

Cassava.....65 [Nigeria average, 1985]

Oil palm.....50 [Global average, 2005]

Cultivating Algae for Liquid Fuel Production (http://oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm); NREL, 2005

Importance

Algae is easy to grow Can produce a high yield of oil Oil can be processed into biodiesel Help to solve dependence on fossil fuels Can be better for the Earth

References

Cultivating Algae for Liquid Fuel Production (http://oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm); NREL, 2005

Department of Energy, Office of Fuel Development. “Aquatic Species Program”. 1996. Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies Ltd. 2007. Accessed: http://www.ebtplc.com/c4c.htm Guiry, M.D. and Blunden, G. (Eds) 1991. Seaweed Resources in Europe: Uses and Potential.

John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-92947-6 Mumford, T.F. and Miura, A. 1988. 4. Porphyra as food: cultivation and economics. p.87 — 117.

In Lembi, C.A. and Waaland, J.R. (Ed.) Algae and Human Affairs. 1988. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0 521 32115 8

John Sheehan, Terri Dunahay, John Benemann and Paul Roessler, "A Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program-Bio-diesel from Algae, Closeout Report", July 1998, NREL/TP-580-24 190 http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf  

Michael Briggs, Widescale Biodiesel Production from Algae, University of New Hampshire, Physics Department, revised August 2004. http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html

Sheehan, J., T. Dunahay, J. Benemann, and P. Roessler. 1998. A look back at the U.S. Department of Energy’s aquatic species program - Biodiesel from algae. US Dept. Energy, Office of Fuels Development, Nat. Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO.

Solix BioFuels, 2006. accessed: http://www.solixbiofuels.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26

Websites: http://www.ecology.com/dr-jacks-natural-world/most-important-organism/index.html http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_yield.html