1. Emma Thrift- Chris Hiner- Calvin Warthen
Algal Biofuels
Emma Thrift- Chris Hiner- Calvin Warthen
CPSG 200 Science & Global Change Semester III “Search for Solution” Project

2. Why Algae?
conservationbytes.com

3. Algal Growth Convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy
Double their weight several times in one day
Grow in freshwater,seawater, contaminated water, and in lands not suitable for the production of food
Physakgakblooms.org

4. Algal Oils Algae create oils as they grow
They create 15 times as much oil per acre than other biofuels
Once refined, oils are a suitable fuel source
50% mass of algae is oil
Non-toxic

6. What is the Goal?
To utilize oils from algae to create a high yield and low cost renewable biofuel source for jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline
autoevolution.com

7. History of Algal Fuels 1950- Idea of using algae as fuel introduced
1978-United States Department of Energy began research
1996- Aquatic Species program shut down
-Oil price at $20/barrel
2009- Oil price rose to $100/ barrel and research began again
-$67 million dollars to form National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Synopsis (NAABB)

8. Resource Requirement All algae requires some basic components Water
Biggest limiting factor
Light
Carbon Source
Uses Carbon dioxide from the environment
Nutrients
Often overlooked
Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Iron, Sulfur

9. Growth and Extraction Engineering better systems for growth
Photobioreactors
Easily controlled closed systems
Open pond
Cheap open system

10. Growth and Extraction (Cont’d)
There are three main extraction methods
Oil press/ extraction
Hexane extraction
Supercritical CO2 fluid extraction
Important: Many of the extracted crude oils are very similar to fossil fuel oils. This means that downstream processing can see collaboration with established oil companies

11. Current Developments
What are some current challenges and known potential in the realm of algal biofuels?
Challenges
Fossil Fuel competition
Production hurdles
i.e Where to grow?
Potential
High growth rate
High oil content
Decent growth densities
The algal biofuels production chain is outlined in Figure 3 and shows that the major challenges include strain isolation, nutrient sourcing and utilization, production management, harvesting, coproduct development, fuel extraction, refining and residual biomass utilization.
high growth rates, reasonable growth densities and high oil contents

12. Land Use
To compensate for the amount of oil that the US needs per day alone, an area the size of Louisiana would need to be dedicated completely to algae growth
There are two strategies for large scale growth
Terrestrial
Marine

13. NAABB Goals 1.Supply -Strain development and cultivation 2. Logistics
1.Supply
-Strain development and cultivation
2. Logistics
-Harvesting and extraction
3.Conversion/Production
-Accumulation of intermediates and synthesis of fuels

14. After only 3 years, the NAABB reduced algal crude oil prices
NAABB Developments
After only 3 years, the NAABB reduced algal crude oil prices
$240 per gallon $7.50 per gallon (2013)
How?

15. NAABB Developments (Cont’d)
New Strains of algae:
Chlorella sp. DOE1412 can make oil in high amounts when paired with genetically modified strain
Cost Reduction: 85%

16. NAABB Developments (Cont’d)
2. Improved cultivation Method:
-Aquaculture Raceway Integrated Design (ARID) uses less energy, extends algae growing period
Cost Reduction:16%

17. NAABB Developments (Cont’d)
3. Low Energy Harvesting Technology
- Electrocoagulation uses low energy, commercially available technology to harvest the biofuel
Cost Reduction: 14%

18. NAABB Developments (Cont’d)
4. High yield extraction-conversion technology
-Unique hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) system that extracts and converts the oils to bio-crude products without extraction solvents
Cost Reduction: 86%

19. How This Combats CLIMATE CHANGE:
Theoddessy.com

20. Combatting CLIMATE CHANGE:
Doesn’t put extra CO2 into atmosphere
Instead of burning off previously sequestered CO2 like in fossil fuels
Make use of eutrophic water
Highly renewable
Since algae is a natural resource that
reproduces exponentially

21. Combatting CLIMATE CHANGE (Cont’d):
No toxic byproducts and environmentally friendly
No environmentally dangerous chemicals produced (CO2 is still released)
Use to treat wastewater and cut subsequent environmental risks
The algae make use of any extra substances in the wastewater such as phosphorus, sulfur, etc.

22. Future Applications COST
To make this a viable fuel alternative however, there would need to be algae with those characteristics along with enough economic incentive to produce these fuels on a large scale which currently is not quite the case.
COST

23. Trouble with Commercialization
The costs in biofuel production from algal biomass amounts approximately $7.50 per gallon :
The building and upkeep of facilities
Utilization of land
The extensive process, etc.
Currently the mass production qualities of algae breeds and the fuel extraction process are not on par with that of fossil fuels.
Certain breeds need to be found or engineered to produce a high lipid yield and grow at an efficient rate so that the fuel can be produced more effectively and the process, which at present has high production costs due to the requirements for fuel extraction, needs to be refined to cut production costs.

24. One Possible Solution The production of algal biomass on wastewater
Provides a readily available medium at almost no cost
Help prevent environmental pollution
Tie into existing infrastructures
This could not only help reduce
environmental risk but make this
production much more commercially
viable.
The wastewater is already there so less cost would need to go into creating the growing/extraction facility
The algae, while it grows, can utilize any unwanted or harmful waste in the water like extra phosphorous, nitrogen, sulfur, etc. thus removing some of those substances from being environmental risks
The growing of algae can tie into existing commercialized infrastructures such as coal-fired power plants or sewage treatment facilities, where they provide the necessary materials for the algae from their waste and byproducts and agal biomass production could become as commercially viable as that infrastructure

25. Summary:
Algae produce oils that can be extracted and repurposed to form crude biofuels
Process is environmentally friendly and renewable
Limits new carbon dioxide being added to the air

26. Bibliography:
University of Virginia. (2008, August 19). Algae: Biofuel Of The Future?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 7, 2016 from
Lane, Jim. (2014) Where are we with biofuels. Biofuels Digest. Retrieved November 11,2016 from
Hannon, M., Gimpel, J., Tran, M., Rasala, B., & Mayfield, S. (2010). Biofuels from algae: challenges and potential. Biofuels, 1(5), 763–784.
Murphy, Jerry D., Poonam Singh Nigam, Anoop Singh "Mechanism and challenges in commercialisation of algal biofuels". Bioresource Technology: Volume 102, Issue 1 (Links to an external site.), January 2011, Pages 26–34

27. ANY QUESTIONS?