CCRES Algae Project Q A

 CCRES ALGAE

CCRES Algae Project
Q&A

See answers to common questions about growing algae for biofuel production.

    Algae’s potential
    What makes algae a better alternative fuel feedstock than cellulosic feedstocks, such as switchgrass or miscanthus?
    What transportation fuels can algae produce?
    How much fuel can algae produce?
    Where could this type of algae grow?
    What can you do with material derived from algae production not used for fuel?

    Economics
    How much would a gallon of algae-based transportation fuel cost if it were available at a service station today?
    What can accelerate the commercial availability of algae biofuel?

    Environment
    How will algae-based transportation fuels impact greenhouse gas emissions?
    Is the process capable of being replicated at the local level to increase energy efficiency and promote low-energy overhead?

    Security
    Can algae-based fuels be used in developing countries to help them bypass fossil fuel dependence?

CCRES ALGAE

Q: What makes algae a better alternative fuel feedstock than cellulosic feedstocks, such as switchgrass or miscanthus?

    A: Large-scale production of resource-intensive plants, like switchgrass or miscanthus, requires a substantial amount of fertile land, fresh water, and petroleum-based fertilizer to grow. The fuel derived is ethanol, a lower-energy fuel not compatible with the infrastructure now used to transport, refine, and deliver liquid fuels, like gasoline and diesel.

    Conversely, algae can produce hydrocarbons capable of being converted directly into actual gasoline or diesel fuel, which can be transported and delivered to market using the existing refinery infrastructure.


Q: What transportation fuels can algae produce?
    A: Algae produce a variety of fuel and fuel precursor molecules, including triglycerides and fatty acids that can be converted to biodiesel, as well as lipids and isoprenoids that can be directly converted to actual gasoline and traditional diesel fuel. Algae can also be used to produce hydrogen or biomass, which can then be digested into methane.

Q: How much fuel can algae produce?

    A: The United States consumes 140 billion gallons per year of liquid fuel. Algae can produce 3,000 gallons of liquid fuel per acre in a year, so it would take 45 million acres of algae to provide 100% of our liquid fuel requirements.

    For comparison, in 2008 the United States had 90 million acres of corn and 67 million acres of soybeans in production. So growing 45 million acres of algae, while challenging, is certainly possible.


Q: Where could this type of algae grow?

    A: Algae perform best under consistent warm temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees. Climates with plenty of sunshine offer optimal conditions. Ideal Croatian locations include many of the southern and southwestern areas, such as Dalmatia,(including Dalmatian hinterland ).

CCRES ALGAE

 
Q: What can you do with material derived from algae production not used for fuel?

    A: Production of 140 billion gallons of fuel from algae would also yield about 1 trillion pounds of protein. Since algae-produced protein is very high quality, this protein could be used to feed livestock, chicken, or fish. Presently, all livestock in this country consume about 770 billion pounds of protein per year.


Q: How much would a gallon of algae-based transportation fuel cost if it were available at a service station today?

    A: Today, the cost would be relatively expensive. Additional investment in research is needed to further refine and enhance the algae strains that generate such fuels. Also, more infrastructure needs to be developed to achieve the necessary economies of scale that will come with large-scale commercial production. Once overall efficiency increases, the cost of producing a gallon of gasoline from algae will dramatically reduce.


Q: What can accelerate the commercial availability of algae biofuel?

    A: As viable and potentially transformational as algae-based transportation fuels have already proven, we need a much better knowledge base on algae at the microbial level. We also need to build on this platform to develop the tools and train the next generation of scientists that will help usher in the age of accessible, affordable, and sustainable fuels made from algae. That is a central component of the Croatian Center for Algae Biofuels (CCRES Algae Project).

CCRES ALGAE

Q: How will algae-based transportation fuels impact greenhouse gas emissions?

    A: Production of alternative transportation fuels from algae will help reduce the amount of CO2 in the environment. Algae provide a carbon-neutral fuel because they consume more CO2 than is ultimately released into the atmosphere when algae-based fuel burns. The amount of carbon removed from the environment will depend on the number of algae farms built and the efficiency with which algae can be modified to convert CO2 to fuel products. Eventually, algae farms will likely be located adjacent to CO2 producing facilities, like power plants, resulting in potentially significant CO2 sequestration benefits.


Q: Is the process capable of being replicated at the local level to increase energy efficiency and promote low-energy overhead?

    A: Absolutely. There are huge advantages to locating algae farms near urban centers. The algae consume industrial waste and contaminants, which are usually found in higher concentrations near cities. A perfect location is near a power plant, where the algae can consume flue gas and other waste, or near a wastewater treatment plant where the algae could consume significant amounts of nitrates and phosphates from the waste stream. This could result in cleaner effluent discharge, and perhaps eventually create “new” sources of non-potable water for industrial or agricultural use.


Q: Could algae-based fuels be used in developing countries to help them bypass fossil fuel dependence?

    A: Algae-based fuels (and the protein byproducts derived from their production) definitely have the potential to positively impact developing countries. The requirements for farming algae are fairly straightforward and can be done almost anywhere in the world with an adequate supply of sunshine. In Africa, for example, millions of algae acres could be farmed in its less-populated regions, resulting in a reduced dependence on foreign oil and a reliable and sustainable energy supply.

 

CCRES ALGAE PROJECT

part of 

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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Free radicals

Free radicals

In the body, free radicals are produced when oxygen combines with complex
metabolic molecules. Free radicals are highly unstable molecules ready to
react with anything they can. When they react, the result is called “oxidation.”
Once the oxidation process begins, it can produce a chain reaction that generates
more free radicals.

 
Oxidation in the human body is the same thing that happens to metal when
it rusts. The rusting or oxidation can destroy a strong piece of metal in just a few
years. By painting the metal or putting on a rust-inhibiting product you can prevent
rusting. This is the same thing that antioxidants are doing to the “rusting”
in our bodies—preventing oxidation and keeping them strong. Like the rust
inhibiting product which prevents the metal’s cells from oxidizing and degrading,
antioxidants prevent our body’s cells from oxidizing and degrading. Fortunately
for our bodies (and our health), antioxidants are capable of joining with oxidizing
free radicals, thus rendering them harmless.
There is a very easy and interesting experiment you can do in your home
that shows what oxidation is all about: Take an apple and cut it in half. Now take
a lemon and cut it in half and drip the lemon juice on one half of the apple. Drip
it all over the cut side of the apple, and leave the other apple half as is with no
lemon juice. Keep the two halves at room temperature for an hour or two, then
look at both halves: The half with the lemon juice will look pretty much the same
as it did when it was cut; the half without the lemon juice will probably be turning
brown and “going bad.” If you leave them out longer, the difference will
become more pronounced. This is oxidation and antioxidant protection happening
before your eyes. The unprotected half is oxidizing quickly. The half with
lemon juice is oxidizing very slowly or not at all because of the antioxidants present
in the lemon juice. Lemons have Vitamin C and citrus bioflavonoids.

CCRES ALGAE PROJECT 

part of 

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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Aquafarm 2 0 Review

A little while back, I was contacted by Alejandro from Back to the Roots.  He had seen my first Aquafarm review, and appreciated the review.  We chatted about our similar ideals and regenerative food production goals, and he offered to send me some updated parts for the Aquafarm.  The updated Aquafarm is in stores already, and included several improvements.  First, there is a new pump.  This is a water pump rather than an air pump.  It’ more efficient, and quieter than the air pump was.  There was also a new upper grow tray to accommodate the different pump and tubing.  Also included was an updated grow medium.  The new rocks are white in color, rather than brown, and they are more porous than the original grow media, allowing for more beneficial bacteria to turn the fish waste into plant food.

Overall, the update greatly improved the Aquafarm design.  I would hesitate to recommend the original design because of the loud pump, and the fact that the air pump died after a few months.  This updated version is definitely one that I’m now comfortable to recommend.  I’ve had great success growing basil and purslane under a daylight color lamp in a bedroom.  Here’s a quick video review of the updated Aquafarm 2.0 from Back to the Roots.  You can buy the updated Aquafarm at Petco stores, on Amazon, or directly from Back to the Roots.

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New Growth in my Windowfarm!

I was pleasantly surprised to see my strawberry plant flowering yesterday!

Im also seeing some growth in the Basil planted in the windowfarm.

The green onions are doing really well, and I cut one to mix with my eggs for breakfast this morning.  This marks the first time Ive eaten anything that Ive grown.  Awesome!

The lavender on my windowsill is also starting to grow.

My little garden is coming to life!  My betta, Tarzan, is happy!  Our frog Henri is happy!  Our cat, Alex, is happy!  And, Im super happy!

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The CCRES Algae Production Module

CCRES Algae

The CCRES Algae Production Module will begin with an overview of photosynthesis and the carbon cycle, the taxonomy of algae and the basics of cell biology.  

Safety in the lab, OSHA compliance and the process of experimental methodology are also included in the curriculum. Students will learn about algae growth factors such as temperature, light, CO2and nutrients. 

 The different kinds of photobioreactor designs will be explored, including closed vs. open systems.  Students will learn about the importance of cultivation protocols, and when to feed, harvest and how to process the algae. 

 Analytics will be covered as well which includes the use of the microscope and learning about the basic algae handling and testing procedures such as dilution, cell counting and dry weight measurment.  

The various uses of algae will be examined such as its role in the nutraceutical, food, cosmetic and animal feed industries and as a replacement for petroleum as a transportation fuel. 

CCRES ALGAE PROJECT

part of 

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

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The Valhalla Project has some great ideas!

I was browsing kickstarter a few days ago and came across this fundraiser for "The Farm of the Future."  The group behind the project calls themselves Valhalla.

"We are Valhalla -- a group of people dedicated to making sustainable communal living mainstream and inspiring people to help create the beautiful world our hearts tell us is possible."
I like their mission statement and in particular, I thought their idea of combining an earthship structure with a greenhouse was really cool.  Check them out!

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CCRES BIODIESEL

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES 

(CCRES)

Biodiesel

The Popular Biofuel

The fuels obtained from biomass materials, like the waste generated by plants, animals and humans beings, are called as the biofuels. The biofuels are well known alternative fuels used for the production of heat and electricity and also driving the vehicles. The biomass is considered to be a type of renewable sources of energy since it is available in unlimited quantity and will continue to do so for unlimited period of time. One of the most popular types of biofuels is biodiesel.

Biodiesel is obtained from the fresh or used vegetable oil and animal fats by the process called transesterification. Efforts are being made to obtain biodiesel from waste grease and oils. The modern methods have been discovered to obtain biodiesel from algae as well.

Early Diesel Engine and Biodiesel

Rudolph Diesel had invented diesel engine in the period dating back to 1890. Though the present diesel engine is being run entirely on petroleum diesel fuel, in the days of invention itself Rudolph had envisioned that his engine could be powered by vegetable oil and could be used in the remote areas of farmlands where petroleum diesel is not available, but where the vegetable oil can be obtained easily from the plants. This way the farmers would be able to run the vehicles used by them for farming by using the vegetable oil. Rudolph had carried out extensive research to run his engine on vegetable oil.

In fact biodiesel was one of the earliest fuels used for running the engines of the automobiles.

After Rudolphs death in 1913, the gasoline including diesel became much cheaper so the design of Rudolphs engine was modified so that it can run on petroleum diesel. It is indeed interesting to know that after almost 100 years, the engine developed by Rudolph is now being run on the same fuel i.e. biodiesel made from vegetable oil, as per its original vision.

Biodiesel used for Running Vehicles

As mentioned earlier, the original diesel engine was designed to run on biodiesel or vegetable oil. For all the vehicles manufactured after the year 1993 biodiesel can be used as the fuel in all diesel engines without making any changes in the fuel injection system. When one uses the biodiesel there may be very little or no change in the performance of the engine.

The properties of biodiesel are very similar to traditional diesel obtained from the crude oil. While the combustion of traditional diesel produces lots of air pollution and toxic gases, the burning of biodiesel is clean and it does not cause any environmental pollution.

Biodiesel can be used as the fuel for automobiles in the pure form or it can be mixed with petroleum diesel in various proportions to form the blends. The two most commonly used blends of biodiesel are B20 and B100. B20 is the blend of 20% of biodiesel and remaining percentage of petroleum diesel and is the most widely used blend in US. It also meets all the regulations under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) documented in 1992. Most of the other fuel blends containing lesser than 20% of biodiesel can also used for the running the vehicles. B100 is the pure form of biodiesel and it can be used in the diesel engines only after making certain changes in the hosesand gaskets of the engine.

Controversies Related to Biodiesel

Now that biodiesel is being blended with petroleum diesel and is being used as the fuel, its demand is fast increasing. A number of farmers are tempted to grow the crops that would yield biodiesel at the cost of the food crops. Instead of using the fertilizers, pesticides and energy for the food crops, farmers are using them for the biodiesel crops. This leads to not only the misuse of the limited resources but also shortage of the food crops.

In some parts of the world large areas of forests have been cut down to grow sugarcane for ethanol and soybeans and palm-oil tress for making biodiesel. US government is making efforts to make sure the farming for biomass materials does not competes with the farming of food crops and that the farming of biomass would require lesser fertilizers and pesticides. A number of other sources for biodiesel are also being explored like used oils and greases and algae.

Benefits of Biodiesel

Here are some of the benefits of using biodiesel as a fuel:

1) Biodiesel can be easily blended with petroleum diesel and the mixture can be readily used for running the vehicles without carrying out any changes in the engine.

2) Though the properties of biodiesel are same as the petroleum diesel, the combustion of biodiesel produces no greenhouse and other gases that would harm the environment.

As the proportion of biodiesel increases in the petroleum diesel blend, its tendency to generate pollution reduces.

3) Biodiesel is made from plant oil and vegetable fats, which are biodegradable, so they can be easily disposed of. When biodiesel is leaked or split it does not harm the environment.

4) The country manufacturing and using biodiesel is less dependent on other countries for their fuel requirements. Biodiesel has the potential to make countries self-reliant for their future fuel requirements. Further, since biodiesel is obtained from the renewable source of energy, it could be considered an important fuel for future planning.

CCRES 

special thanks to   

Escapeartist, Inc

 CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES 

(CCRES)

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CCRES ALGAE PROJECT

CCRES ALGAE PROJECT

Algae is uniquely suited to serve as the foundation for a new generation, the next industrial age of renewable and low carbon transportation fuels. It addresses and solves many of the pressing issues of our time, from climate change, to energy security, to jobs. It sets an infrastructure that will require fewer compromises and more reliance on ourselves to feed our own energy consumption needs.

Algae is one of nature?s most prolific and efficient photosynthetic plants; in fact, it is the source of the earth?s crude oil when algae bloomed millions of years ago. Nearly all of algae?s energy is concentrated in the chloroplast—the engine that turns sunlight and CO2 into organic carbon, resulting in oils easily refined into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Further, algae has a short growing cycle and does not require arable land or potable water. Algae?s number one nutrient source is CO2, consuming 13 to 14 kg of C02 per gallon of green crude. Algae can be grown quickly in salt water in the desert.

The process for making algae into fuel at a very base level is this: Sunlight and CO2 are the source of energy and carbon dioxide, rather than sugar or other organic material. By applying the principals used in biotechnology, CCRES can produce oil in algae that is highly branched and undecorated - the way that traditional crude is – to get a biological crude molecularly similar to light sweet crude. This Green crude can be than processed at a refinery just as traditional crude to make all three major distillates – gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

Algae are the most efficient photosynthetic plants on the planet as no energy goes into making roots, stems, seeds, or flowers. More energy (roughly 6-50 times more) is produced per acre, per year, with algae versus other feedstocks.

CCRES ALGAE PROJECT

part of 

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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Biomass as an organic renewable energy source

The U.S. Department of Energy has just released this video to educate people on the research, industry and government’s efforts to develop biomass as an organic renewable energy source; employing agriculture and forest residues, energy crops, and algae to take the place of conventional fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

CCRES Algae Team

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Annies Project Greenhouse Management Class

Im currently taking a lecture series offered by Rutgers University as part of Annies Project, a project to educate women in farming (its open to guys too).  Its once a week in person for 3 hours (including a free dinner), and a 1-hour weekly webinar.  This years 6-week class is focused on greenhouse management, including creating a business plan, plant choice, pest control, etc.  The class is a great opportunity to network with other local growers and enthusiasts.  There are people in the class who have greenhouse facilities that they dont know how to take care of, others who dont have any property, but have a lot of knowledge or interest in farming, and others who are very experienced and already have a farm business.  Ive already met other doing urban farming, and aquaponic farming.  Some of the cool things Ive learned about from just the first class are AgPlan (a free Agricultural Business plan tool from the University of Minnesota), and performing SWOT analysis to consider your strengths and weaknesses.  This is a national organization, so check out Annies Project to see if they offer a program near you!





Heres a link to some archived class footage.

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Aquafarm Update from 23 Jan 2014

Back to the Roots sent me a new air pump to replace my original pump that died.  They also sent me more zym-bac beneficial bacteria, and a large bag of wheatgrass seeds.  They also sent some new instructions that say to place the air pump vertically next to the aquafarm and run the air tube into the aquarium.  After setting it up, the water is flowing much better now, and I seeded all 5 pots with wheatgrass.  Since my aquafarm doesnt get a lot of light (necessary to grow basil or lettuce), and I drink a lot of smoothies, I wanted to try to grow a bunch of wheatgrass to add to my fruit smoothies.  Im glad the water is flowing, and the bacteria will be cleaning the water again.  Ill keep updating with the results.

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Herb Spiral Project in Delaware

Before and after the most recent work day.

Ive been working on building an herb spiral in my parents yard in Delaware. Its just about finished.

An herb spiral is a permaculture design that allows you to grow up to 16 different herbs all requiring different conditions, from watercress and mint to rosemary and oregano. The design channels water from the top of the garden to the small pond at the bottom.  The structure creates microclimates through variation in sunlight and soil moisture. Well place plants at the top that need less water, and plants at the bottom (near the pond) that need more water. The north side will have shade-loving herbs and the south side will have herbs that need more light. The idea is to grow a wide variety of herbs that will be available for the kitchen.

Its a good idea to place an herb spiral close to the kitchen. That way, if youre cooking dinner, you can easily cut fresh herbs for your recipes.

If you want to learn more, or build your own, detailed instructions can be found here: http://fuentesfarm.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/spiral-herb-garden-chart/

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