Algae

Jaal Mann, Michael Karch, and Arij Beebe-Sweet

http://www.celsias.com/media/uploads/admin/algae_shot_1.jpg

Fossil fuels are not

sustainable

•Dwindling petroleum

reserves

•CO2-caused global climate

change

Sustainable alternatives

are needed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthout/4279546112/

Biofuels as a sustainable

alternative to fossil fuel

•Carbon neutral

•Renewable

•Cheaper than fossil fuel fairfieldlutheran.org

Types of biofuel

•Traditional food based:

•Non-food biomass based:

-corn

-sugar cane

-soybean

-oil palm

-switch grass

-algae

http://www.flickr.com/photos/agrilifetoday/5012117834/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Algae is a promising new

biofuel

•Higher yields than traditional biofuel crops

•Saltwater and wastewater tolerant

http://greengineers.wikispaces.com/file/view/algae_smiley.jpg/115440023/algae_smiley.jpg

Original Project Idea

•Enclosed bioreactor with LEDs

•Flaws:

•Contamination

•Time

•Complexity

•Quantity

LED Electricity

Cost Per Gallon

Our research gave us the information

to answer our initial question. What is

the cost of using 10-Watt LEDs?

Probable algae growth yields:

10gal * 1/3000 * 0.5 = 0.0017gal/batch

Number of batches to achieve one gallon

of lipids?

1gal/0.0017/gal/batch = 600 batches

How much electricity per batch?

10W * 12h/d * 20d = 2.4kWh/batch

Cost per batch?

2.4kWh * $0.10kW = $0.24/batch

How much electricity for one gallon of

lipids?

$0.24/batch * 600batches/gal=

$150/gallon

http://www.teeninjail.com/2010/05/my-first-day.html

Project Evolution

Plan B

•Talk to researchers on the cutting edge of

algae yields for biofuels

http://zaozzie.blogspot.com/2012/02/evolution-of-modern-man.html

Algae to Biofuel

Process and Challenges

•Strain Selection

•Growing Phase

•Dewatering

•Extraction

•Transesterification

http://saving-the-energy.blogspot.com/2009/11/biodiesel-production-from-algae-oil.html

Strain Selection

•Estimated 1-10 million different species

•Hybridization weakens algae

•Some ideal characterizations are: high

lipid content, tolerates salt and waste water

and oils excreted outside the cells

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/biosphere-imbalance-should-we-worry-about-engineering-algae-for-biofuels/9331

Growing Phase

•4 Litres of water per kilogram of dry algae

•Difficult to Monoculture

•Open ponds and Raceways have several

vulnerabilities

http://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=859

Dewatering

•1 part algae 3,000 parts water

•Best available dewatering technique is

centrifugation

•High capital and energy cost associated

with most methods

•Main bottleneck in algal culture

http://www.andthenbam.com/?p=556

Extraction Methods

•Mechanical crushing or pressing

•Ultrasonic extraction

•Supercritical CO2

•Counter-current circulation

•Microwaves??

http://genedrekeke.blogspot.com/2009/04/algae-optimistic-nanotech-algal-oil.html

Transesterification

•The process of making biodiesel

•14-22 Carbon chains long, freezing point

is high

http://share.psu.ac.th/file/waraporn.ra/view/4640

Transportation Needs

•50 million barrels of motor gasoline per

year (EIA)

•About 450,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per

year (EPA)

Western Washington:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezioman/3034706336/

Wastewater Management

•Wastewater is rich in Nitrogen and Phosphorous

•Nitrogen and Phosphorous can cause algae

blooms and resulting dead zones

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1496154

Wastewater Management

•Algae thrive on a diet of Nitrogen and

Phosphorous (McShan 1974)

•Growing algae in wastewater treatment plants

is very promising

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/24707

Wastewater Management

•Brine shrimp eat algae to maintain productivity

(McShan 1974)

•Brine shrimp can be harvested to offset system

cost (McShan 1974)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/saulspics/2981758939/

Algae Turf Scrubbing

•Nutrient clean-up and biofuel at the

same time (Beardsley 2011)

•Algal turf scrubbers remove

nutrients, produce fertilizers, return

oxygen to water, and can produce

biofuel or pharmaceuticals

(Beardsley 2011)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48722974@N07/5120227735/

Food and Pharmaceutical

Algae protein costs 30 times more that meat1

Algae carbohydrates are not digestible by humans2

1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/923.html

2. Fujiwara-Arasaki, Teruko, Sorui; 12/10/84, Vol. 32 Issue 4, p293-299, 7p

http://botany.si.edu/projects/algae/economicuses.htm

Product

Proteins

Carbohydr

ates

Lipids

Meat

43

1

34

Rice

8

77

2

Spirulina

maxima

60-71

13-16

6-7

http://www.algae.wur.nl/UK/applications/food_feed/

How Algae Proteins Compare

As a percentage of dry weight mass, protein potential comparison of one algae species to other foods.

http://www.affordable-natural-

supplements.com/36905.html

Pharmaceutical Uses

In treating oral disease1

Has high percentage of

vitamin C

Natural carotenoids2

Chlorophyll a used for

deodorant

1. Sirbu, Rodica,Proceedings of World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology

volume 32 August 2008.

2. Daciana, Sava, Pharmaceutical Importance of some multicellular red algae species

from the Romanian Black Sea shore. Annals of RSCB Vol XIV, Issue 2.

http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8505353_pharmaceutical-microbiology-training.html

Looking to the future

•Not ready for large-scale

biofuel use

•More research in yields

and lipid contents

•Cost of production must

decrease

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robseattle/34083190/

Bibliography

Biological Treatment of Wastewater Using Algae and Artemia

Michael McShan, Norman M. Trieff and Dov Grajcer

Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation) , Vol. 46, No. 7 (Jul., 1974), pp. 1742-1750

Published by: Water Environment Federation

Article Stable URL: http://0-www.jstor.org.cals.evergreen.edu/stable/25038824

Algal Turf Scrubbing: Boon or Blip?

Timothy M. Beardsley

BioScience , Vol. 61, No. 6 (June 2011), p. 423

Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological

Sciences

Article DOI: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.6.1

Article Stable URL: http://0-www.jstor.org.cals.evergreen.edu/stable/10.1525/bio.2011.61.6.1

Transporation Fuel Consumption:

http://www.eia.gov/state/state-energy-profiles-data.cfm?sid=WA#Consumption

CO2 per gallon:

http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/refs.html

Life-Cycle Assessment of Biodiesel Production from Microalgae

Laurent Lardon, Arnaud Helias, Bruno Sialve, Jean-Philippe Steyer, and Olivier

Bernard

Environmental Science & Technology 2009 43 (17), 6475-6481

Dewatering of microalgal cultures: A major bottleneck to algae-based fuels

Nyomi Uduman, Ying Qi, Michael K. Danquaha, Gareth M. Forde, and Andrew Hoadley

Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800,

Australia (Received 22 July 2009; accepted 22 December 2009; published online 12 January 2010)