| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| starwarsgeek171 |
Posted - 06/30/2008 : 13:18:19
It seems as though it is possible to produce enough bio-fuel from one acre of pond algae in a year to run an automobile for 375,000 miles. Scientists are currently working on discovering which algae exhibit the fastest growth rates and best conversion ratios. Algae are extremely easy to grow/maintain, and they can even be harvested on a daily basis if needed. Finally, Factory emissions could be directly pumped into controlled "algae farms" to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere. Pond scum, anyone? |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| PennyWhoreDer |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 13:56:27
There is a company that is called GreenFuel that has several pilot plants working across US now.
I tried to get investment info, they will deal only with 'big' money (bigger than the 50K I asked to invest). The process requires a CO2 source to feed the algae so they are piggybacking the algae plants to conventional power plant exhausts to scavenge the needed co2. |
| aboxaweek |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 10:25:31
we could go to china and steal there algae (or what some thought was a golf course)lol
i saw something about some gas at the bremuda triangle that could be an alt. energy source too |
| TenBears |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 09:50:52
Go to the National Geographic website and see if you can find the article. It should be within the last couple of issues. I don't know any company names off hand. |
| starwarsgeek171 |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 07:37:21
I would also be interested in specific company names. Sounds like a great investment opportunity! The algae farms may also be able to sell carbon credits. |
| Gr33nday43 |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 00:31:53
Tenbears, that is very interesting! Any idea of the companies working on this? Just to think of it, the US being energy dependent because of algae! |
| horgad |
Posted - 07/02/2008 : 13:01:01
And if that doesn't work, you can always just stay home and eat the algae.  |
| starwarsgeek171 |
Posted - 07/02/2008 : 12:25:26
Excellent follow-up info, TenBears. Thank you. |
| TenBears |
Posted - 06/30/2008 : 18:31:18
quote:
Originally posted by starwarsgeek171
It seems as though it is possible to produce enough bio-fuel from one acre of pond algae in a year to run an automobile for 375,000 miles. Scientists are currently working on discovering which algae exhibit the fastest growth rates and best conversion ratios. Algae are extremely easy to grow/maintain, and they can even be harvested on a daily basis if needed. Finally, Factory emissions could be directly pumped into controlled "algae farms" to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere. Pond scum, anyone?
Several companies are trying to figure the "algae" process out to make it commercially viable. They are not sharing information back and forth as the winner will patent its process and makes billions. There is a very good article in National Geographic about various bio-fuels, including ethanol produced from algae. Corn ethanal is all hype, and the only reason we are trying to make it, to my mind, are cornbelt lobbyists. It takes 1 gallon of petroleum to produce 1.3 gallons of corn ethanol. And, ethanol only burns at about .7 to .8 the efficiency of gasoline. So, producing corn ethanol is a worthless enterprise other than generally learning about how to make biofuels. Brazil has become energy independent off growing sugarcane and making sugarcane ethanol. The conversion for that, if I remember the Nat'l Geo. article, is one gallon of petroleum to 8 gallons of ethanol. Here is the golden egg for biofuels: It is estimated that one gallon of petroleum could be converted into 800 gallons of algae ethanol. If our private company scientists can figure this out, algae ethanol could make the US energy independent. |
