guru wrote:A NREl report on Jet fuel from algae says that they are using a technology called hydroprocessing technology to make kerosene like fuels from algae oil. So it is something close to kerosene.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy06osti/40352.pdf
That's a good one Guru. To quote from the document you have so kindly enclosed earlier, "But with various hydroprocessing technologies used by refineries to catalytically remove impurities or reduce molecular weight, the algal oils could be made into a kerosene-like fuel very similar to petroleum-derived commercial and military jet fuels or into a fuel designed for multi-purpose military use."
And here's how the hydroprocessing (which actually stands for hydrogen-processing) works:
"Here is how the process works:
1. Feedstock is separated into distillates and vacuum gas oils.
2. Waxy vacuum gas oil molecules flow to the hydrocracker to begin conversion.
3. Hydrogen is introduced to saturate the molecules and remove impurities such as nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen and heavy metals.
4. Hydrocracking, under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst, converts aromatic molecules into saturated paraffins.
5. The altered stock is noticeably lighter in color due to the absence of contaminants.
6. Long waxy paraffin molecules are restructured into shorter, branched isoparaffins which resist gelling and improve low temperature pumpability.
7. Hydrogen is introduced again to remove any remaining aromatics and impurities, enhancing the oxidation and thermal stability of the now colorless oil.
"
Source:
The Horse's Mouth...Oops ConocoPhillipsI wonder how costly this whole process is...you are using many costly stuff here - multiple processing, hydrogen...the costing sheet is not going to look very pretty