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ALGAE BASED BIOFUELS – BEST ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL.

ALGAE BASED BIOFUELS – BEST ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL. Ivana O’Dell Issues in Science and Technology March, 2009. My stance. Biofuel made out of algae - best alternative to fossil fuel. No issues with deforestation, food shortages, and pollution. Biofuels.

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ALGAE BASED BIOFUELS – BEST ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL.

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  1. ALGAE BASED BIOFUELS – BEST ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL. Ivana O’Dell Issues in Science and Technology March, 2009

  2. My stance • Biofuel made out of algae - best alternative to fossil fuel. • No issues with deforestation, food shortages, and pollution.

  3. Biofuels • World is desperate for a new source of fuel. • Fossil fuel – depleted. • Current biofuels made from corn or soy- not THE best alternative.

  4. CURRENT BIOFUEL - NOT SO GOOD • Not close to meeting the growing demand of petroleum. • Dedicating all current U.S. corn and soybean production to biofuels would meet only 12 percent of gasoline demand and 6 percent of diesel demand. • Global population growth and advancement in societies (China) will increase demand for corn and soybeans for food. • Crops grown for biofuel contribute to deforestation and pollution from fertilizers.

  5. HOW IT ALL STARTED Invention of the wheel – One of the most important inventions. • 4000 BC – Wheel, Mezopotamia.

  6. 3000 BC - Chariot and cart, Sumeria.

  7. 1500 AD – Four wheel coach, Hungary.

  8. 1885 – Karl Benz, First gas powered vehicle, Mannheim, Germany.

  9. 1908 – Henry Ford, Ethanol.

  10. 1973 – Arab oil embargo.

  11. US DOE AQUATIC SPECIES PROGRAM • 1978 - 1996 U.S. DOEOffice of Fuels Development funded a program to develop renewable transportation fuels from algae. • Main focus - production of biodiesel from high lipid-content algae grown in ponds by utilizing waste CO2 from coal fired power plants. • Advances in science of manipulating metabolism of algae and engineering of microalgae algae production systems.

  12. Pilot demonstrations • In Raceway Ponds (built in HI, CA, NM) • Target production - 50 g / m2 / day (same as 10 to 20 thousand gallons per acre per year. • Actual productivity ≈ 10 g per m2 per day.

  13. Research Suspended (1996) • Difficulty controlling the environment- invasive species - temperature - cost • Estimated cost of fuel from algae - $1.40 to $4.40 per gallon.

  14. Pros • High yields of algae due to fast growth. • Can help decrease carbon pollution. (Carbon dioxide is primary input required by algae to grow.) • Water efficient production (Algae – 16 trillion gallons of water; Corn – 4,000 trillion gallons of water). • Can grow in brackish, saline, wastewater, and range of temperatures. • No one country has a monopoly on algae. • Not in competition with food crops . • Valuable byproducts - high-protein animal feeds, agricultural fertilizers, glycerin, and jet fuel.

  15. cons • Environment difficult to control. • Cost of production high. • Technology yet not available.

  16. ALGAE TECHNOLOGY PROCESS

  17. Vertical growth/closed loop production – better than pond • Increases oil rates even further. • Grows algae under ideal conditions. • High output of algae – more oil for biodiesel. • Closed bioreactor plants can be strategically placed near energy plants to capture excess carbon dioxide that would otherwise pollute the air.

  18. THE FUTURE – close to home Melbourne, FL • PetroAlgae- continuing the work of DOE and Arizona State University. • PetroAlgae - developing a commercialized system of technologies to grow and harvest oil from algae. • PetroAlgae’stechnology can yield up to 14,000 gallons of oil per year from just one acre of algae. • Expected to show their finished product in 2009. Next Big Bio-Fuel - ALGAE

  19. CONCLUSION • Algae biofuel – best alternative to fossil fuel. • Other alternatives are not efficient, cause deforestation, pollution, and shortage of food. • Although technology is not yet available, there is hope with companies such as PetroAlgae.

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