1 / 13

Biological Fuel Manufacture In Space Mark Smith

Biological Fuel Manufacture In Space Mark Smith. Algae in Early Earth Paved the Way For Human Habitation. . MIT Persuades Algae to Make Hydrogen Fuel Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii. 3 rd Generation Algae Biofuel Companies . Sapphire Energy. Joule Unlimited.

cliff
Download Presentation

Biological Fuel Manufacture In Space Mark Smith

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Biological Fuel Manufacture In SpaceMark Smith

  2. Algae in Early Earth Paved the Way For Human Habitation.

  3. MIT Persuades Algae to Make Hydrogen FuelChlamydomonasReinhardtii

  4. 3rd Generation Algae Biofuel Companies Sapphire Energy Joule Unlimited • Genetically Engineered Cyanobacterium: • Genetically engineered a cyanobacterium that can convert CO2 directly to liquid hydrocarbons (diesel fuel, jet fuel, and gasoline) requiring no biomass intermediates, processing, cracking or refining. • Run a continuous circulating medium comprised of brackish water and micronutrients through the algae. • Improvement on Chlamydomanas Reinhardtii: • Successfully produced 91-octane Gasoline from algae that fully conforms to ASTM certification standards. • In 2009 participated in a test flight using algae-based fuel in a Boeing-737-800 twin-engine aircraft

  5. My Proposal: Algae Refueling Station Key Concept Create a renewable source of fuel in space to avoid the transport cost • Algae used to: • Produce H2 fuel source • Produce Liquid Hydrocarbons • Nourishing food source • Breathable air- used as scrubbers • Uses: • Space Tug • Continual material transportation between LEO and Moon using STP • Provide intermediary refueling station to more distant destinations • Refuel Satellites

  6. Refueling your Refueling Station in SpaceThe Cold Hard Facts: • 1st gas pump in space set for 2015. That’s GREAT! • But what happens when THEY run out of fuel? • Objectives: • Renewable source of fuel using algae • Avoids excessive costs involved in launching fuel • Algae Hydrocarbon Production: • 3785.4 gallons of liquid hydrocarbons/(m2 of land*year) • Algae Hydrogen Production: • 33 grams of algae produce 264.2 gallons of H2 • Requirements: • Sunlight… No problem! • Water… Use hydroponics to replenish water supply. • C02… • A single human exhales .9 kg of C02 per day • Algae absorbs 1.6 kg/(day*Liter of algae) • C02 from 2 people can accommodate 1 Liter of algae • We need more C02! • I propose to use decaying vegetables from the hydroponics garden to supply C02 • Bottom Line: • For a 50m2 algae tank we will be able to get 189,270 gallons of liquid hydrocarbons per year. Fuel that could be used without modification to existing engines.

  7. Graphene Oxide: Framework For Tank Surface Packs in Hydrogen, C02 • GOFs • Strong Storage Ability • Roughly 1%weight in hydrogen • Optimum H2 storage capability • at cold temperatures (77 kelvin) • Inexpensive material • Light weight • Optimal Mechanical Properties • Tougher than a diamond • Stretches like rubber • Graphene thin as cling film is Able to support an elephant • Ideal for space application • Optimum H2 storage capacity at • Cold temperatures (77 Kelvin) Combining graphene with special metallic nanostructures could lead to better solar cells and optical communications systems

  8. Applications: Transport From LEO to the MoonWhat’s the Rush?

  9. Space Tug • Inspiration: • JPL’s SEP Space Tug Study- 1986 • LEO to Lunar transport • Flight time = 1 year • New set of engines required for each flight. • Payload fraction = 60% • Space Tug Concept Revamped: • STP Monopropellant & light-weight graphene tank • Algae in a separate tank continually supplying propellant • Objectives • Lower cost & More flexible transportation • 5000 kg delivered to the moon from LEO every • 100 days • SART engines • Continuous ISP=750sec. Thrust=10N

  10. Power to the ISS • Electrolysis: • Produces most of the station's oxygen • Utilizes electricity from the ISS solar panels to split water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas • Drawback: • Requires energy input Highlighted: Location of ECLSS life support equipment

  11. Viability Foton Satellite Orbiting Earth. Housed Algae Experiment in 2005/2007 BIOKIS: Photo-Evolution Hardware used to Test the space tolerance of Chalmydomonas Reinhardtii ISS housed BIOKIS hardware in 2011

  12. Synthetic Genomics-Craig Venter “……it’s pretty obvious that there’s nothing in the natural world to make the levels that are needed.”…… Synthetic fuel producing algae coming ?

  13. The Future of Space Travel Looks...SLIMY

More Related