Which algae to use?

[llstwe22]

So far I'm getting litle bits n' pieces of what to do with the Alga to make Diesel. It's beginning to be a bit overwhelming.

[hogg]

I don't think anybody on this forum is actually making burnable Algae fuel oil.
I was corrected on this just last week. Diesel is a petroleum product.
Burnable Oil from Algae is correct....(he says to me)

There's a table on Google or Wiki that shows several strains of Alga. Only three our four have 45% oil and then after you do the drying and squeezing your only going to get a few ounces out of each Gallon Bucket of Alga.

We should be able to find some info on each locale from the Aggies or the Sewer system people.

I'm still a believer. I'd like to try it.
So far I'm still looking for something local, like pond scum, to make a test squeeze.
The difficult part is finding some Hexane and making a still to take the Lipid Shells out and leave the burnable oil in the bottom of the still without the Oil bursting into flame, or breathing the Hexane/Lipid mix.

If there is something other than Hexane we can use to take out the lipid Capsules, I wish somebody'd speak up quick.

[conjre]

Believe me, making biodiesel out of algae is the easy part. It's the cultivation of the said algae that is a bit overwhelming as changes are being made everyday in this field.

[lujanit]

I have a property in northern Australia of (tropical/sub tropical climate ) with most the infrastructure to commence Algae cultavation, for both fresh and salt water varietys and combos of both (if this is possible).
I will set up for bio diesel production with intent to produce enough product to fund ongoing reserch into this fuel of the future.
I have researched for some time and are still unsure of the types of Algae suited to this climate and weather salt and fresh cand be combined or even interbred.
Could anyone assist in suggesting,. suitable Algae strains available, contacts to purchase, up to date equipment for procesing and for oil extraction and testing equipment/chemicals ( I heard that Nile red dye )for the presents of oil content in different strains of algae
Is this the only method and can it be done wet?

Thanks for your help

Cheers

While there are some species that grow in both marine and freshwater transferring a culture from (say) fresh to marine will most like be unsuccessful unless the strain is acclimated first.

In Aus you can get starter cultures from CSIRO in Hobart. They have an extensive collection and there is a lot of information on their site regarding media, strains, techniques etc. http://www.marine.csiro.au/microalgae/

The Holy Grail at the moment is searching for the strain which grows quickly, produces a high percentage of oil of the correct type. As someone mentioned earlier, serious players don't give out this info.

There are other possibilities than algae for biodiesel. Many strains are excellent food or feed additives and don't require all the expensive extraction equipment. There are many methods to extract the oil. Cold pressing, hexane, supercritical CO2, combinations. Depending on the strain grown, harvesting can be problematic.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are going to grow algae in ponds (extensive) the culture will become contaminated with bacteria and other algae. This may or may not present a problem depending on the final use of the algae. There are means of getting around this problem although it depends on the species being grown.

Have you had your fresh water analyzed?

I have my doubts that you will be making enough money from the production of biodiesel to fund your further research any time soon. Best of luck with your venture.

[hogg]

In north central AL Winter kills most alga left outside. In summer it ought to grow rampantly if covered and does well in hot days.
I'm going to cut some tires in half, cover the halves with clear plastic etc.
Another thought was cutting 12" plastic pipes in half. covering them with clear plastic. Lining the bottom with Black Visqueen.

I think I'll visit the Sewer system today looking for some hints on local Algae.

[slky77ew]

Everything I have read is very general and no specific results have been found thus far.

[arje06]

Algae are really helpful to us in some aspect of our lives. They can be used to make Biodiesel, that produces hydrogen and biomass, which can be burned to produce heat and electricity. Nowadays, some countries use them to conserve energy and electricity for they be used as replacement for oil.