Get the Oilgae RSS Feeds in Your Reader
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Algae to Ethanol?
You are at: Oilgae Blog; see also: Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae Home Page
Some weeks ago there was an article on Veridium Inc. patent pending technology and an algae that contains up to 94% starch; the rest is possibly cellulose?
One member at the Oil from Algae Yahoogroup is wondering why all of us have focused on algae to (bio)diesel technology and not algae to ethanol technology...
To quote him further: "The two are not mutually exclusive. After all, the alcohol that goes into biodiesel has to come from somewhere"
He further says: "I can see many advantages to make ethanol from algae instead of diesel:
1.The lipid (oil) content in algae (best strains I have seen from different sources max. 70%) is less than starch+cellulose+ sugars(nearly 100%) content
2.Algae should be dried (a lot of energy) to extract oil but needs no treatment for ethanol fermentation
3.Extracting the oil from algae is complicated
4.CO2 from ethanol fermenting can be used as algae feedstock
5.The energy from fermenting and distilling can be used to heat algaeponds (photobioreactors) in cold climate."
Certainly food for thought!
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
Some weeks ago there was an article on Veridium Inc. patent pending technology and an algae that contains up to 94% starch; the rest is possibly cellulose?
One member at the Oil from Algae Yahoogroup is wondering why all of us have focused on algae to (bio)diesel technology and not algae to ethanol technology...
To quote him further: "The two are not mutually exclusive. After all, the alcohol that goes into biodiesel has to come from somewhere"
He further says: "I can see many advantages to make ethanol from algae instead of diesel:
1.The lipid (oil) content in algae (best strains I have seen from different sources max. 70%) is less than starch+cellulose+ sugars(nearly 100%) content
2.Algae should be dried (a lot of energy) to extract oil but needs no treatment for ethanol fermentation
3.Extracting the oil from algae is complicated
4.CO2 from ethanol fermenting can be used as algae feedstock
5.The energy from fermenting and distilling can be used to heat algaeponds (photobioreactors) in cold climate."
Certainly food for thought!
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae provides links, provides directory and web links resources for the algae-based biofuels & biodiesel. It is intended to be useful for research, information, inputs, news for buyers, sellers, manufacturers, traders, suppliers, producers, exporters and importers of algal oil and algal fuels. It will make an effort to provide info on biofuel feedstock, algal feedstocks, algae oil info and link, details on fuel from algae, bio-fuel, bio-diesel, bio-fuels, algal oils production and uses, and biofuels trade & market resources, data, statistics such as price, prices, demand-supply for buyer, seller, manufacturer, trader, supplier, exporter and producer
PermaLink - Algae to Ethanol? posted by Ecacofonix : 1:36 PM
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
There is a small start up company in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area that is doing just that. They are using algae grown in a bioreactor to make ethanol. So far the cost of growing and processing the algae into ethanol is very close to the break even point of corn based ethanol. (and this is without the government subsidies that the larger corn ethanol plants are getting)
But let me remind you this is still in the testing phase, but it is looking like it is possible and economical. (they are also using the flue gasses from the distilation stage to feed the algae)
But let me remind you this is still in the testing phase, but it is looking like it is possible and economical. (they are also using the flue gasses from the distilation stage to feed the algae)
# posted by 
: 11:06 AM
: 11:06 AM
Instead of growing algae (which can be costly), we plan to use drum filters and pump seawater through a microscreen drum filter using solar powered magnetic pumps.. I am trying to find studies on the most efficient way to dry the algae and the best process/equipment for producing ethanol..can anyone help me?
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
