United States Patent Application 20090077863

Abstract:
A process for production of biofuels from algae can include cultivating an oil-producing algae, extracting the algal oil, and converting the algal oil to form biodiesel. Extracting the algal oil from the oil-producing algae can include biologically rupturing cell wall and oil vesicles of the oil-producing algae using at least one enzyme such as a cellulose or glycoproteinase, a structured enzyme system such as a cellulosome, a virus, or combination of these materials.

Abstract:
A process for making agar-agar from algae extraction juices, comprising combining in sequence the following steps:

(a) placing the extraction juice in the presence of a cation ion exchange resin conditioned into the Na.sup. form at a temperature exceeding the gelation threshold of said juice,

(b) placing the extraction juice in the presence of an anion ion exchange resin conditioned into the Cl- and/or the SO4-- at a temperature exceeding the gelation threshold of said juice,

(d) lowering the juice temperature below the gelation threshold, and

(e) extracting the agar-agar from the obtained gel.

A biological growth reactor vessel for the cultivation of micro-algae, diatoms or other unicellular organisms, especially for oil production, is described which incorporates a dispensing rod to which are attached a plurality of clear paddles which increase surface area for the diffusion of light and growth enhancing admixtures such as CO2, nitrogen and cellulose premixed at micron level. The dispensing rod incorporates a plurality of holes strategically placed to disperse the micron-mixture slurry of the growth admixtures. The dispensing rod and its attached clear paddles make use of methods and technologies to concurrently micron mix admixtures such as natural gases, amendments and other biological factors such as enzymes and microbes to increase contact area between said mixtures and micro-algae, diatoms or other naturally occurring unicellular growth.