Will biofuel produced from algae power the future?: "Environmental tradeoffs
Another great thing about algae is that they can be cultivated even with sea water or waste water, which is a plus point as this helps to conserve the depleting fresh water resources. As algae are biodegradable, they will not cause any harm to the environment. Algae grow really fast and generate copious amounts of energy. Also they require only water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow. Therefore, biofuel manufactured from algae is an excellent source of clean and green energy."
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The creator: Holly Smith-Baedorf and Rod Scott
ReplyDeleteThe product
Holly Smith-Baedorf, who is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Bath with Professor Rod Scott, found a type of algae that can be used for large scale production of biofuel. This algae, found in waters of Roman baths, has a delicate cell wall and high oil content, and therefore can be easily grown at high temperatures. Efforts to produce such algae on a massive scale are ongoing.
2. Solar powered photobioreactor generates biofuel using algae
Photobioreactor
The creator: Emergent Architecture
The product
With an exterior made of fiber-composite monocoque that has been pleated to give stiffness, this PhotoBioReactor has been manufactured by OriginOil. The machine has transparent polycarbonate apertures, which contain thin-film solar transistors that generate electricity required for its operation. The contraption will continue to operate in shade as well as pitch dark conditions thanks to the helix of lights provided in all the algae coils. Colonies of red and green algae that require CO2 and light at the front end are used to produce hydrogen or biofuel at the other end.
3. Nanofarming produces biofuel from algae without killing it
Nanofarming
The creator: Researchers at DOE’s Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University, in partnership with Catilin, Inc.
The product
In most processes of biofuel production, algae have to be terminated to extract their oil but the Iowa State University has given a complete turnaround to this conventional process. In the new method, free fatty acids are absorbed from living algae. This innovative technique has been made possible because of nanofarming. Using nanoparticles, oil is extracted on a molecular level and then mixed with a non-toxic biofuel catalyst to produce biofuel.
4. Alliance of Solray and Aquaflow
Alliance of Solray and Aquaflow
The creator: Solray and Aquaflow
The product
In an attempt to manufacture biofuel on a commercial scale, Aquaflow and Solray have entered into a partnership scheme. In this joint agreement, a method to grow algae from waste water streams has been applied, which are then utilized for manufacture biofuel. The process of manufacturing the biofuel has been founded by Solray, while Aquaflow has contributed the method of cultivating algae using waste water. The discharge of nitrogen and phosphate, which defile the ecosystem, has been reduced drastically in this method.