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  #16  
Old 06-20-2008, 01:57 PM
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From what I've been reading, biodiesel derived from algae is already a reality, they just need to find a way to make it cost effective. Once someone figures that part out, it definitely looks like the way to go for future biodiesel production.

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  #17  
Old 06-20-2008, 02:21 PM
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As I have posted once or twice before, one of our researchers here has cracked the Algae separation issue and is awaiting a patent on the process. If all goes well, he has found a simple, energy efficient, way to extract it. And it is in cooperation with a fairly large Bio Diesel producer in the South West who will incorporate it. They won't even tell me exactly what the process is until they get the patent but I have been given a few hints but not enough to explain any of it yet. It is all pretty hush hush of course. Thats really the only stumbling block with Algae has been getting it to release its Oil. Its pretty well bound up. And it takes a lot of energy, with traditional methods up until now, to get it to release the oil. But he claims to have achieved it.
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  #18  
Old 06-20-2008, 02:34 PM
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The other "hurdle" is distribution:

http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1441
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  #19  
Old 06-20-2008, 05:13 PM
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I was thinking the main hurddle for Alge oil was to get the algea to grow. Most of our efforts in this country is to keep it from growing, till now. Different strains and how much nutrients, light etc. are needed for optimal growth. Also, what/which strains provide the best ratio of oil mass to growth rate. That also might be tied to regional locations.
As far as tranporting, I could see the problem that biodiesel has the properties of a solvent of cleaner. It would take off any residuals in the pipe line. I don't know much about pipe line cleaning and maintence stuff.
I hear butanol is an alcohol, that is a near direct replacement for gasoline. Its a higher complex hydrocarbon chain than ethanol. I think it can be moved through pipelines.
Tom
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  #20  
Old 06-20-2008, 05:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 75Sv1 View Post
I was thinking the main hurddle for Alge oil was to get the algea to grow. Most of our efforts in this country is to keep it from growing, till now. Different strains and how much nutrients, light etc. are needed for optimal growth. Also, what/which strains provide the best ratio of oil mass to growth rate. That also might be tied to regional locations.
As far as tranporting, I could see the problem that biodiesel has the properties of a solvent of cleaner. It would take off any residuals in the pipe line. I don't know much about pipe line cleaning and maintence stuff.
I hear butanol is an alcohol, that is a near direct replacement for gasoline. Its a higher complex hydrocarbon chain than ethanol. I think it can be moved through pipelines.
Tom
With the vertical algae plants, it's a closed system where they can control all of the variables and grow many times more algae than an open pond system. Open pond systems have all the problems you mention and have limited surface area to grow the algae.

As far as using existing pipelines to transport biofuel, one of the issues I've heard is the water that is suspended in the biofuel will degrade the pipeline faster by causing corrosion at all the joints.
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  #21  
Old 06-20-2008, 11:37 PM
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...now?...........how about now?.......................are we there yet?................how about now?..............

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