Does algae hold much promise as an energy source? Kris Tjornhom | Tony Marcincavage | Rob Pecorelli | Chad Pruner

Introduction Oil is the lifeblood that holds the world together and keeps us moving forward However oil is unfortunately not renewable and take millions of years to replenish. Major push for alternative energy sources But what if we didn’t have to give up oil itself, just the way that we have been harvesting it? That’s where algae biofuel comes in Does algae biofuel Pros outweigh the Cons?

How Algae is converted into fuel Can be extracted mechanically or physically Four main types of extraction Expression (Mechanical) Ultrasonic (Mechanical) Using Benzene (Chemical) Using Hexane (Chemically)

How Algae is converted into fuel Expression (Mechanical) Oil is pressed out of the algae Example: Olives made into olive oil Screw, expeller and piston presses Depends on the algae strain Able to extract 80% of the algae’s oil Chemical processes are used to further extract

How Algae is converted into fuel Ultrasonic (Mechanical) Faster process than pressing Uses ultrasonic waves to create bubbles Ultimately leads to the release of the oil

How Algae is converted into fuel Benzene (Chemical) Inexpensive solvent Classified as carcinogenic May pose the danger of explosion

How Algae is converted into fuel Hexane (Chemical) Can be used by itself or in a combination Can be used with the pressing method Can extract nearly 95 percent of algae’s oils content

Main Uses of Algae Algae is one of the most efficient sources for creating biofuels Food Fertilizer Plastics Animal Feed

Other Uses Cosmetics Wastewater treatment facilities In those facilities with using algae, you won’t need so much toxic chemicals Used by power plants to reduce Co2 emissions Health Reasons

What is Algae used for

Benefits Bio-based fuel with a carbon neutral cycle Replacement for petroleum-based liquid fuels Renewable

Benefits Absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows Both waste CO2 and wastewater can be used as nutrients Higher energy per-acre than other bio-fuels

Benefits Can be grown on land unsuitable for other types of agriculture Study found that 17 percent of U.S. oil imports could be met with algae Investments are being made to make the process better Production is presently scaling up (Navy buying 100,000 gallons this year) Research has been underway for 50 years

The Cons of Algae use for energy Main problems with Algae High cost of production Uses large amounts of water Warm temperatures needed Technology underdeveloped High fertilizer use Profit potential not known

Oil properties\Cost Oils derived from algae degrade easier than other biofuels Oil contains more fatty acids which restrict flow at low temperatures The profitability is unknown Start up cost for algae factories and very expensive Investors are not sure about investing because of high initial costs

Building cost Initial infrastructure costs are very expensive Algae Process is more expensive because additional research needs to be done Infrastructure can be very large as seen below

Conclusion The technology and amount of research required is simply out of our reach currently There is a good deal of research money going into this as production is beginning to scale up. Issues can be fixed: Using land surrounding power plants or land unsuitable for any other type of crop Water can be recycled in reactors. Cold flow issues can be resolved by blended biofuels with other fuels Fertilizer issues could be addressed using waste streams The technology and cost is not currently where it needs to be to consider algae biofuels a serious replacement for petroleum based fuels There is great promise for the use of algae biofuels in the very near future.

Works Cited “Von Witsch Archives.” Fuel Freedom Foundation, 21 May 2014, Web DOE. “Energy 101: Algae-to-Fuel.” Energy.gov, Web Wesoff, Eric. “Hard Lessons From the Great Algae Biofuel Bubble.” Gtm, Greentech Media, 19 Apr. 2017, Web Wocken, Chad. “The Power of Algae BiomassMagazine.” Biomassmagazine.com, Web RP Siegel. “Algae-Based Biofuel: Pros And Cons.” Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit, 12 Apr. 2012, Web Cassidy, Susan. “How can algae be converted into biofuel?” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 27 Dec. 2010, Web Sawahel, Wagdy. “Biofuels from algae plagued with problems, says review.” SciDev.Net, 5 July 2010, Web “Five amazing and unusual uses for algae”. Naturalnews.com, Web November 2012