Algae bio-fuel

[sunshine]

I just found this site...so I hope I'm doing it right;-)

I read where algae can be half oil by volume.  The Gulf of Mexico has a gigantic dead zone each summer due to algae die off and resulting bacteria depleating the oxygen.  This is happening in other areas, too.  Back to the Gulf...Shrimpers/fishermen have off seasons and are in need of revenue during those times.  Algae actually cleans the water before it dies and is devoured by oxygen depleating bacteria.

So...why not scoop out that algae when it is "ripe" before it dies, dry it, squeeze out the oil and use it for motor fuel???  More of it is growing out in the Gulf than if we planted the entire farming area of the US in another oil producing plant.  What is left over after the oil is squeezed out might be beneficial as a fiber to make paper or other materials.

[tulook]

you should check out these websites, this is 91 octaine gas that we could use now

http://sapphireenergy.com/
http://www.greencrudeproduction.com/

[Koen1]

Well algae farming is hip nowadays,
but the problem is not so much where to get the algae
as it is to find the most efficient way to collect them,
and the most efficient way to extract oil from them,
which obviously needs suitable algae that either
grow really fast or consist of a large percentage of oils,
preferably of a type that does not need much refining
and chemical processing,
and obviously preferably all those rolled into one.

It seems to me that it is more difficult to "fish" and filter
algae out of the sea than it is to grow them in containers,
for the obvious reason that the latter is already contained
and the former needs very extensive processing to get
the algae contained.

I happen to have been reading about algae for ages,
and it just so happens algae in general are actually
more suitable for use as food than they are for the
production of fuels for combustion.
The oils they contain are all simple "healthy" fats,
and they contain a lot of omega3 and other viamins too.
In fact, eating the algea can be quite a bit more healthy
than eating the fish.

Now there happen to be a small number of algae and bacteria
that actually produce and contain oils of a form that needs
hardly any 'refining' or processing before it can be used as diesel.
But those tend to grow quite slowly, and the entire concept of
using algae was that they grow explosively.
So it's a bit of a standoff at the moment; most algae farming companies
opt for the rapid growth.

I would say have a bunch of (inter)national laboratories and universities
seek out, study, and enhance a microorganism that produces ready-to-use
diesel-quality oil in large quantities. Breeding, selecting, and "forced evolution"
could be applied to improve oil yied and growth rate.
And if possible, select those that also produce hydrogen while they grow.

But of course an engine that runs on water without need of battery recharge
is better still.