Alternative Energy Sources: Algae and Hydrogen By Professor Eli Coakley

What’s the need for alternative energy sources? At first, everyone thought oil, or petroleum, was a great thing. It was a powerful source of energy, and found in large amounts with some drilling. It created quite a few jobs. As time went on, however, things changed. People began to see the ill effects of this miracle power. It can cause global warming, and it’s fumes are poisonous. With that came a shortening supply, and raised prices resulted. It soon became clear that a new master energy was needed to be developed in order to keep things working. There are quite a few possible solutions out there.

The Power of Algae Everyone whose lived near water knows what algae is. For those like me who don’t, let me fill you in. Algae is neither a plant or an animal (though many believe that larger samples can be plants) but more of a bacteria, one that grows in the water. It is very slimy and comes in a multitude of forms. Some of your more common forms are kelp and basic green algae, which are found in the ocean. But the ones of most use are the small, single celled algae's. Using these little guys we can make a type of eco-friendly biodiesel fuel that can replace basic oil. This can be done with many different types of vegetables, but algae can produce more per sample.

Here’s How It Goes: One grows algae in many different ways, but one of the most popular ways is using a photo bioreactor. In order to grow, algae needs carbon dioxide, water and sunlight, as well as a constant temperature. You could easily grow it in a backyard pond or lake, but for more productive results you want all your variables controlled. Thus a photo bioreactor is used, which is a series of clear tubes that under controlled circumstances algae can grow in, and a lot of it! In fact, it can double the algae per liter of water. Once this algae is fully grown, in about a day or two, you can either harvest the oil it naturally produces to create biofuel, or ferment it to create ethanol. Either way it can create a safe, clean form of powering equipment.

The Capability of Hydrogen Hydrogen is nothing to be messed with. It is extremely flammable and unstable, and can create a LOT of energy. During the cold war, scientists tested with hydrogen, making a bomb more powerful than the atomic! But with new advances in technology, we are able to harness this incredible power.

How it works Hydrogen is harnessed through the use of hydrogen cells. In these cells, hydrogen is split into its main two parts: one proton and one electron. The protons pass straight through, while the electrons are put into a circuit. Thus, electricity is created. On the other side of the cell, when the two meet again, they fuse with oxygen and are released as water and heat. A simple process to do!