ncbionetwork.org Brunswick Community College's (BCC) Center for Aquaculture and Biotechnology (CAB) has implemented a Biofuels from Algae project as a joint effort between the departments of Aquaculture and Biotechnology. This included the design and construction of an 1800 gallon photobioreactor system during phase 1 of the project. Phase II focused on the downstream processing of oil extraction. BCC's CAB has a patent pending status on this process, which is purely mechanical, easily scalable and relatively cheap to implement. The final phase of the project (pending funding) will optimize and refine the oil extraction process, which will give us the opportunity to file a full patent, license the patent to industry or develop a trade secret with an industry partner, which will quickly move the process to commercialization. If the final phase is funded we will also obtain data on the yield of oil production, yield to biodiesel conversion, chemical composition of the extracted oil and determine the best species for use in the process developed at BCC. For more information, go online to http or ncbionetwork.org.
Michael Fischer Stanford University mfischer at stanford.edu Two major problems facing the physical world today can be broadly categorized into (1) how to increase the amount of consumable energy available for the worlds needs and (2) how to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases produced. Of course, these problems are negatively linked together inasmuch as, without further offsets, an increase in the production of carbon fuels leads to an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases produced when these fuels are consumed. In this video we shall look at a method that breaks this negative link by considering a project that increases the worlds supply of oil using biofuels and which at the same time decreases the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide used during its production. The resulting product is a sustainable biofuel whose carbon footprint is neutral inasmuch as the CO2 produced on consumption is essentially balanced by the CO2 used in its production. Video Rating: 4 / 5
Meet the Admiral. He'll show you the new RCB-X "mean, green riverine machine" that's run on 50 percent petroleum and 50 percent algae biofuel blend. Then, we'll take you on a journey to Hopewell, Virginia to show you all about the green stuff. It's a shipload of algae!
Each element of a hanging gardens photobioreactor is designed to follow the sun's rays, like the sunflower and other heliotropic plants, in order to optimise the use of light. No part of the culture is ever in the shade. This optimisation can increase natural light input by 10-15%.
Article by Manolito Montala
Jatropa Curcas or locally known as Tuba in our country has been used by our ancestors as a folkloric medicine for rheumatic pains, snake bites and also insecticide. The leaves are used as medicine for muscle ailments like rheumatic pains. Simply by applying oil on the leaves and heated by flames and then applied to the skin on where the ailments are. Although it has medicinal properties, the fruit and seed is not edible and poisonous when ingested. The leaves have anti-inflammatory properties but toxic when excessively used internally. The pounded leaves when pounded and made into a poultice can be used to aid in snakebites and also effective as an insecticide.
This shrub is erect and the leaves have a usually somewhat rounded at the base, pointed at the tip and toothed at the margins. Distributed though out the Philippines and neighboring Asian countries.
Although this is an important addition to the many medicinal herbs (which you can also find some Philippine medical plants in my site on the resource box link below), it is now been discovered as a good bio diesel alternative or additive. Very cost effective and very close the properties of (fossil) diesel fuel we are using today. Unlike the coconut oil or alcohol additive, which are expensive to produce, Jatropa curcas or tuba is much cheaper. A liter of pure coco bio diesel would cost over P120 or US.50, which is why only small amounts of it can be mixed with regular diesel fuel to produce a competitively priced alternative.
Since there are no much demand for tuba, and very easy to propagate the plants, it is cost effective. And imagine you can extract 1 liter of oil from 3 kilos of seeds. There are no complicated processes of extracting oil from the seeds unlike coconut oil and alcohol bio diesel. Seeds are sun dried and grounded to extract oil from it.
India now leads in the development of Jatropa curcas bio diesel fuel and now people in our country are becoming aware with the help of media. And hoping that the government will push through in promoting this bio diesel fuel. Research on jatropha biodiesel production in the Philippines is being undertaken by the research and development facility in Diliman, Quezon City, of PNOC Energy Development Corp.
In India they are talking about planting jatropha in as much as 33 million hectares of wasteland. The proponents envision plantations that can produce enough oil seeds from which biodiesel could be extracted to meet India's current diesel fuel requirement of 40 million tons annually. Five tons of jatropha oil seeds can produce two tons of biodiesel.
The Indian proponents of jatropha biodiesel point out, among others, that the plants "grow on poor degraded soils and are able to ensure a reasonable production of seeds with very little inputs. [They are] not grazed by animals [and are] highly pest and disease resistant."
About the Author
About the author: Manolito Montala is a webmaster and one of his interests is collecting local medicinal plants information which can be found in Filipino Herbs Healing Wonders. You can visit his site in http://www.filipinoherbshealingwonders.filipinovegetarianrecipe.com/
Robert Henrikson and Mark Edwards introduce the 2011 International Algae Competition 1) design landscapes that integrate algae production systems. 2) develop working models of algae production systems and microfarms. 3) create new algae foods and algae food products. The movie overviews what you need to know how you can become an algae visionary. www.algae competition.com Video Rating: 5 / 5
For many people, the mention of biomass as a fuel source was a new concept. Little did they realize they have already been putting it into their cars. Nope, that isn't your dad's gas anymore.
There are Plants in My Gasoline?
In his State of the Union speech, President Bush made much of the alternative fuel sources available these days. While he should be commended for promoting their use, he perhaps was a bit vague in regard to how far along we are in using biofuels for cars. Most people don't realize that most government vehicles are already using bioethanol and have been doing so for a number of years. Yep, the government has already switched to bioethanol to improve vehicle performance and reduce air pollution. Now, how often does that occur?
Ethanol is the most widely used biomass fuel for cars these days. In excess of 2.8 BILLION gallons of bio ethanol were used as a gasoline additive in the U.S in 2003. Ethanol is a form of alcohol. It is produced through a process strikingly similar to the beer you find in your local tavern or store. Cellulosic biomass [plant pulp] is turned to mush. The mush is converted to base sugars and those sugars are fermented just like wine and beer. The ethanol is then separated from the sugars giving you instant fuel. This process is considered a biomass production because the starting point is a plant. , and most is made using a process similar to brewing beer where starch crops are converted into sugars, the sugars are fermented into ethanol, and then the ethanol is distilled into its final form.
In 1990, numerous cities and states were suffering massive pollution problems. Politics being what it is, nobody at the state level was doing much about the problem. Enter the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. These acts included language mandating the sale of oxygenated to cut down on carbon monoxide emissions from cars. The oxygenation was produced by adding bioethanol to the gasoline.
When you're filling up your car, have you ever notice the patch on the pump with oxygenation language? If so, you were using gasoline with bioethanol in it. And they didn't even tell you.
Tokwear Semey is active in various social and community programs aimed at providing basic information which includes living style, sports, health, information technology and business to all regardless of race or religion
Algae as a biofuel? Capable of producing 30 times more oil per acre than crops used for biofuels, algae biofuel is also non-toxic, produces no sulfur byproducts, and biodegrades quickly. Israeli company Eco Energy is at the forefront of this groundbreaking research. Find out more at ISRAEL21c.org.
Article by David Odell
It seems apparent that the world is heading towards an energy crisis. The meter is heading towards "E" on petroleum and we need an alternative fuel vehicle. Cars can't run on good wishes alone and we need an alternative fuel source that is both economical as well as earth-friendly. One of the options for efficient energy seems to be the hybrid electric vehicle.Hybrid electric vehicles are a top contender to be the alternative fuel vehicle, replacing the gasoline powered vehicles of today. They are efficient, reliable and becoming most cost effective every day. No wonder they're quickly becoming popular. Besides the "green" factor, the designs of these types of vehicles are also pleasing to the eye - unlike the early clunky looking models.
Popularly known as the hybrid, this alternative fuel vehicle runs on battery electric power and good old fashioned gasoline. It gets much higher mileage per gallon than traditional vehicles and dispels less carbon dioxide to boot. Not only that, this alternative fuel vehicle is being adopted by and large in the marketplace. Most major automotive manufacturers produce at least one hybrid and you can buy them at any new car dealership. Many manufacturers of vehicles are adding hybrids to their line up of available models.
Another benefit to this kind of alternative fuel vehicle is that it will last longer because there's less wear and tear. Alternative energy research has given us a vehicle with a combustion engine that stops running when you enter a traffic jam or slow down considerably and the battery electric engine takes over. This means you won't wear your combustion engine out by taking off or slowing to idle. Instead, you can rely on the dependable and less complex battery engine that gives you better acceleration and torque to begin with. You also get the benefit of recapturing waste energy via the regenerative braking system, which helps minimize pollution.
Like any new technology, hybrids run with a higher price tag than traditional gasoline powered vehicles. At the present time, the lofty price tag of an alternative fuel vehicle would put a hurtin' on any blue collar worker's pocketbook. But for some, the benefits might just outweigh the costs. For instance, the "hybrid premium" is often offset by the payback period wherein the cost is balanced out by a savings on gas over time. Not to mention that most other types of alternative fuel cars depreciate much faster than a conventional car but that isn't the case at all with the hybrid. In fact, studies have shown that hybrid vehicles will actually depreciate at a slower rate than conventional vehicles, making this alternative fuel vehicle a better choice for consumers that want to live a "greener" lifestyle.
A final positive is that the hybrids can also run on other forms of alternative fuel. Vehicle manufacturers can add a flexible fuel engine, or you can just use bio-diesel, ethanol or biogas. This gives hybrids a flexibility that most others in the alternative fuel vehicle category don't have.
After much deliberation and consideration it would appear that the hybrid is the best choice when buying an alternative fuel vehicle. You have the benefit of higher gas mileage and better engine performance. As well as the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions which will help stave off global warming. These benefits make the hybrid a very popular and tangible alternative fuel vehicle, unlike some of the other vehicles in the category.
About the Author
David Odell has been a freelance writer for over 20 years and takes a great interest in the "Green Issues" He is the creator of:Start to go Green
Leading experts explore the need, challenges, opportunities and impacts of creating biofuels for a sustainable future Series: "Frontiers of Knowledge" [4/2008] [Science] [Show ID: 14378]
Article by Bill Williams
Is a Water4Gas fuel conversion "Environmentally" superior to
Biofuels- YES
Part 2
In Part 1 of this discussion I reviewed the environmental aspect of electric, hydrogen, and hybrid powered cars; in this document I will outline some of the deficiencies in the use of ETHANOL as a proposed "alternative" carbon-free, low-gas emission fuel.
Let's start by taking a look at where ethanol comes from, how it is produced, and why it is being touted as an energy efficient environmentally friendly biofuel.
Ethanol can be produced as a petrochemical via the hydration of ethylene, and biologically, by fermenting sugars with yeast. In this paper we will leave aside the ethanol produced petrochemically and take on board some facts relating to the field crops required to produce ethanol.
In the U.S.A ethanol as a fuel is derived mainly from maize (corn).
According to the "Renewable Fuel Association, in October '07, there were 131 grain ethanol bio-refineries in the U.S.A. with a further 72 refineries under construction.
Question: how much maize will these refineries consume just to
produce a biofuel?. Answer: America alone produces 270 million metric tons annually which is almost half the worlds harvest. It has been calculated that 500lbs of maize is required to fill one tank of the average american car; simple arithmetic will show that equates to approximately 12 tons of maize for 1 car for 1year. If America is producing 270 million tons p.a., which is the approximate amount required to keep 20 million cars on the U.S roads for one year then ALL of America's maize production is used on the production of fuel and none is left to use as FOOD.
Brazil now has a policy of supporting ethanol as a car fuel which is provided from domestically grown sugar cane, which not only has a greater concentration of sucrose than corn (approx. 30 of ethanol- regarding producing ethanol biofuels is directly at the expense of the food supply chain. Both sugar products and corn have soared up in price as a direct result
of these policies and the huge subsidies paid to farmers and industrial conglomerates. In fact the Asian Developement
Bank stated on Monday the 21st April this year "that developed nations should stop paying agricultural subsidies to encourage
biofuel production because those payments are making staple
foods more expensive."
Sweden does not help this situation either as its said that 13% of
new cars sold there now run on biofuel and practically every other
car maker in the world is trying to make their own version of a
biofuel car.
In following their policy to produce ethanol biofuel systems they have turned their backs to the fact that this policy has a negative effect on the environment by removing crops (food) from the food chain and where it is the case (Brazil, S.America) where tropical forests are being demolished to plant biofuel producing crops, they are removing those vital trees from from the land which themselves can literally absorb a ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in their lifetime.
Finally, a recent article in Science magazine states: "the use of US croplands for biofuels causes increased greenhouse gas emissions through emissions from land use change".
Having read the above it is incredible how anyone could perceive ethanol to be an ethical alternative fuel.
There is an ethical, environmentally friendly system available NOW,
but nobody in government nor anyone in the oil industry supports it.
WHY, - simply because they have a vested interest in the status quo.
The big conglomerates with government officials aiding them have invested BILLIONS in the aforementioned so called alternative fuels
and they have made huge mistakes but they wish to protect their bad investments at all costs, even at a cost to the world's environment.
As mentioned we do have an alternative system that is eco-friendly and it is available NOW; it is the Water4Gas fuel conversion system
which for a very small fee is yours to benefit from immediately.
What are the immediate benefits of installing a Water4Gas fuel conversion system?
a)..Your vehicle will dramatically produce significantly cleaner gas emissions thus reducing the amount of carbon dioxide discharged
into the air.
b)..You will reduce the amount of land required for crops to convert
to biofuel which can then be utilized for growing food crops.
c)..Reduced petrol/diesel consumption via improved m.p.g.
d)..Both a & b help to provide a better, healthier environment, (and
incidentally you'll find you have more cash left in your pocket.)
For full details of the Water4Gas fuel conversion system please visit:-
http://www.the-car-hub.co.uk
R.Bill Williams
About the Author
Bill is now retired but as a keen motorist has driven on most continents of the worldand has a keen interest in environmental issues, these account for only a couple of his many varied interests
Solazyme Unveils Renewable Biodiesel Derived from Algae via Scalable Process First car powered by algal biodiesel to demonstrate real-world driving at Sundance Solazyme, Inc., a synthetic biology company unleashing the power of aquatic microbes to create clean and scalable solutions for biofuel, industrial chemical, and health and wellness markets, today revealed the first ever algae-derived biodiesel fuel (Soladiesel™) to have undergone road testing by successfully powering a factory-standard automobile for long distances under typical driving conditions. The car and fuel will make their public debuts at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where they are also featured in Fields of Fuel, Josh Tickell's documentary about renewable fuels. Soladiesel biodiesel is clean, renewable, environmentally sustainable and scalable. Web: solazyme.com Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com Video Rating: 4 / 5
Ever since the military allowed the design of the hummer to be made public, people have gone crazy over its design. General Motors acquired the brand name and marketing rights of the hummer and now that alternative fuels have begun to grow in popularity, they are also beginning to make an alternative fuel hummer.
Classically, the hummer has been a non-favorite vehicle for environmentalists because it gets horrific gas mileage and uses more gas than a regular vehicle. That is why it made sense for someone to come up the design for an alternative fuel hummer that would be easy on the environment as well as the drivers pocketbook.
There is a pioneer in the green movement to make a hummer that could run on alternative fuels. He is with a non-profit organization who promotes cleaner air by using cars that burn alternative fuels instead of gasoline. He decided that he was tired of his gas guzzling hummer and wanted to make it more environmentally friendly considering his association with him. So he set out to make an alternative fuel hummer. And he succeeded.
He now sells alternative fuel hummers that have shown to be very popular and selling at a really quick rate. He tricks out his vehicles and makes them visually appealing as well. He is highly thought of especially among the young crowd who want an environmentally safe vehicle that looks cool and can run on alternative fuel and that would be Toms hummers.
His alternative fuel hummers run on bio-diesel made from soybeans and corn. They use less petroleum than a hybrid car and are capable of running entirely on vegetable oil alone. That is right, you can run one of his alternative fuel hummers on Crisco! This alternative fuel hummer may be the biggest thing on the road, but it does not use one drop of petroleum and gets 23 miles per gallon.
Celebrities are big fans of these alternative fuel hummers including California governor Arnold Schwarzneggar who owns two hummers that run on bio-diesel. He recently had one of his hummers modified to run on hydrogen as well which emits absolutely no greenhouse gas which, of course, is great for the environment.
If you love the look of a hummer but want one that runs on alternative fuel, fear not. The product is out there to buy ready made or you can one converted into an eco-friendly vehicle. Keep in mind it will cost you some money, but when you consider what you are doing for our planet, owning and driving an alternative fuel hummer can be well worth the cost!
Eastwood Christian School Algae Biofuel Demonstration
The process of making the Bio Fuel is quite simple one. The only problem in mass production is the initial capital required that is often quite high. Following is he process of making the Bio Diesel with help of Algae. The required things for this are the Algae, the Nutrients Mix, Hexane, Oil Press, and Refinery.
There are different Algae that can be used for the Fuel generation. The best one of them is called Chlorella. These green algae have more lipids or the oil extraction ability then any other one. There are other Algae with high lipid too including the Dunaliella or Botryococcus but the oil production volume is higher in the Chlorella.
Algae are placed in the specially produced tanks, similar to the swimming pools. Algae are provided with the nutrients that might increase their reproduction rate and photosets as well. The nutrients for this process include Potassium, and Phosphorous. The Algae nutrients can be purchased from the various companies including Green Star Products.
Plastic tubs are found to be best suited place for the speedy algae growth. The algae are provided with the constant supply of fresh water and they grow in the shallow pounds about two meters high. The other important requirement for algae is the sunlight and salinity at the medium level which might be provided with salt addition to the water or by using the sea water.
In presence of all the ingredients the Algae fuel crop can be harvested in ten to fifteen days at most. The process of harvest is simple you dry the algae and take that for oil extraction. The remaining ten percent of algae will replenish the crop quickly and soon you can re harvest that too. The pressing can take out the three fourth of the diesel from the algae. The other can be taken out by mixing it with hexane. The hexane can filter the oil out from the pulp of the algae easily. On further distillation you can use the same oil for generation of the Bio ethanol and diesel as well.
The Algae Fuel is proving to be the best alternate to the fossil fuel resources. There are many companies and governmental agencies trying to make this fuel commercially viable as well. The Algae fuel might be Algae Oil Biodiesel sustainable for long run, but the carbon dioxide consumption of the fuel is similar to the other methods. The reason of this is that the carbon dioxide being absorbed by the Algae is returned to the environment when the fuel is used.
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US $54.00
