Here is a movie on some technology for producing vegie oil from algae with greater density yield than other crops to date.

Takes 2 links this one opens a new window then click next link in new window.

http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html (http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html)

No comments?

Anyone seen this and want to comment or debunk it.

Where it might stand economically or drawbacks? Environmental risks as in a spill to a fresh water stream and cause an algae bloom??? But compared to an oil spill how bad is the risk? Maybe worse as in it may continue to grow / spread ??? Maybe similar in clean up contaiment? I mean there have been major biological spills from hog farms to streams that we survived from.

How about using the greenhouses in a colder climate to thwart a growth outside the process???

15,000 gallons of hi grade veggie oil per acre per year is substaintial and seems like a positive energy conversion??? excpet energy to run pumps but nuclear could do that or windpower and gravity?????

This is nothing new-the concept of algae biodiesel has been around for more than a decade. It's a promising technology, but it's going to be a while before large-scale infrastructure is in place to grow the algae.

I did not think it was brand new technology. I have seen similar but it too said in an open pond situation it was a still unreasonable due to the amount of water and space required to replace oil. But I am not suggesting it would ever replace a crude oil derivative. I do how ever see the potential at near $150 a barell for crude for some alternatives. Maybe a B10-B20 blend for better emissions plus lubricity and to reduce oil imports.

The vertical racks and greenhouse combination was interesting and seems to significantly reduce the water and space required. However it does require more circulation energy and equipment.

I have seen other stuff on using Switch grass (native to N. America drought and disease resistant etc) which has a better yield density to make ethanol compared to other crops but making the bacteria or enzyemes to convert the pulp to ethanol was uneconomical at present.

Anyone know how they extract the veggie oil from the Algae? Can they skim it somehow or do they have to kill the Algae and regrow more?

...Anyone know how they extract the veggie oil from the Algae? Can they skim it somehow or do they have to kill the Algae and regrow more?

The algae is killed to produce the oil. It isn't really much different from getting oil from any plant crop. They filter the algae out, press it, then refine the oil. The leftovers can be used for animal feed. Under ideal conditions, the growth rate is exponential, so a few algae cells can turn into millions in a relatively short time.

Looks like a pretty slick system. I like the suspended sonic-welded plastic "reactors" and it's a long-known and proven concept - so there's really nothing to debunk.

I did not think it was brand new technology. I have seen similar but it too said in an open pond situation it was a still unreasonable due to the amount of water and space required to replace oil. But I am not suggesting it would ever replace a crude oil derivative. I do how ever see the potential at near $150 a barell for crude for some alternatives. Maybe a B10-B20 blend for better emissions plus lubricity and to reduce oil imports.

The vertical racks and greenhouse combination was interesting and seems to significantly reduce the water and space required. However it does require more circulation energy and equipment.



The largest place I saw making it was in the desert southwest using solar to both provide the energy and make the algae grow in overdrive.

I think I heard one estimate recently that with a greenhouse set up you could generate about 30,000 gallons per acre per year. The micro algea they were talking about can triple its mass in about 24 hours.