Algae Fuels Jennie S n y d e

Algae Fuels Jennie S n y d e r , J o h n Walter, Natalie Dowd, Joey G a y t o n

Algae Overview ● Algae a r e t i n y biological factories t h a t u s e p h o t o s y n t h e s i s t o c o n v e r t CO 2 a n d s u n l i g h t i n t o energy-rich chemicals ● Algae c a n live j u s t a b o u t a n y w h e r e o n E a r t h including s e a s , rivers, lakes, p o n d s , a n d t r e e s ● Algae c a n live a n y w h e r e t h e r e is s u n l i g h t for p h o t o s y n t h e s i s a n d w a t e r for r e p r o d u c t i o n ● Algae a r e k n o w n for t h r i v i n g i n b r a c k i s h w a t e r and wastewater

Algae Overview ● There are more than 30, 000 freshwater and s a l t w a t e r species of algae ● Nearly 1, 000 algae species t h a v e b e e n s t u d i e d s o far exhibit t h e p o t e n t i a l for p r o d u c i n g biofuel ● Of t h e species of algae, s o m e s t o r e e n e r g y i n t h e f o r m of n a t u r a l oils, a n d u n d e r t h e r i g h t c o n d i t i o n s c a n m a k e large a m o u n t s of oils ● T h e large a m o u n t s of oil c a n b e e x t r a c t e d a n d c o n v e r t e d i n t o biodiesel https: //inhabitat. com/first-algae-powered-car-attempts-to-cross-us-on-25 -gallons/ ● T h e e x t r a c t e d oil c a n b e u s e d t o c r e a t e fuels for: cars, t r u c k s , t r a i n s , a n d p l a n e s

Algae Overview ● Algae is cultivated a t algae f a r m s i n large o p e n p o n d s ● T h e algae is h a r v e s t e d a n d t h e oil is e x t r a c t e d f r o m t h e algae by b r e a k i n g d o w n t h e cell s t r u c t u r e of t h e algae t o release oil ● After t h e oil is e x t r a c t e d , it is f u r t h e r p r o c e s s e d a t a n i n t e g r a t e d b i o r e fi n e r y a n d t h e n is r e a d y t o b e u s e d a s fuel ● I n t h e f u t u r e , a n y t h i n g t h a t r u n s o n gasoline o r biodiesel will hopefully r u n o n algae fuels https: //couldthishappen. com/2015/10/algae-power-could-soylent-green-be-the-future/

Algae Overview https: //corporate. exxonmobil. com/Research-and-innovation/Advanced-biofuels-and-algae-research#algae. For. Biofuels. Production

Perspective 1

Exxon. Mobil Algae Fuel Commercial

Algae Fuel https: //lawofalgae. wiki. zoho. com/Chapter-1 ----Introduction-to-Algae-Biofuels. html

Benefits of Algae Fuels ● Algae c a n b e p r o d u c e d i n b r a c k i s h w a t e r ( i n c l u d i n g s e a w a t e r ) its p r o d u c t i o n will n o t strain freshwater resources ● Algae c o n s u m e s CO 2 ○ On a life-cycle b a s i s h a v e a m u c h l o w e r e m i s s i o n s p r o fi l e t h a n c o r n e t h a n o l given e r g y u s e d t o m a k e fertilizer, distill e t h a n o l a n d f a r m / t r a n s p o r t t h e l a t t e r ● Algae c a n yield m o r e biofuel p e r acre t h a n - p l a n t b a s e d biofuels – c u r r e n t l y a b o u t 1, 500 gallons of fuel p e r acre, p e r y e a r ○ a l m o s t fi v e t i m e s m o r e fuel p e r a c r e t h a n f r o m s u g a r c a n e o r c o r n

Algae: Low-Emission Fuel of. Tomorrow ● ● ● Algae C o n s u m e s CO 2: ○ P r o d u c t i o n sites c a n also a c t a s c a r b o n c a p t u r e projects i n a d d i t i o n t o p r o d u c i n g algae L o w - E m i s s i o n Fuel: ○ On a life-cycle basis, algae biofuels will e m i t a b o u t half a s m u c h greenhouse gas as p e t r o l e u m - d e r i v e d fuels H i g h Yield: ○ Each acre of algae yields m o r e t h a n 2 , 0 0 0 gallons of fuel c o m p a r e d t o 6 5 0 gallons p e r acre of p a l m oil a n d 5 0 gallons a n acre of s o y b e a n oil https: //www. google. com/url? sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2 ah. UKEwjz 7 -S 9 ipjm. Ah. Xk. Yt 8 KHbc 1 BRIQj. Rx 6 BAg. BEAQ url=https%3 A%2 F%2 Fwww. researchgate. net%2 Ffigure%2 FCarbon-dioxide-close-cycle-for-biofuels-wwwknolgoogleco fig 1_303403359&psig=AOv. Vaw 2 f. A 8 Zul. Mtl. TPRzpw 5 ho. XNw&ust=1575414347132212

Algae: Low-Emission Fuel of. Tomorrow ● ● ● Y e a r - R o u n d Harvest: ○ Harvested repeatedly throughout t h e y e a r unlike o t h e r feedstocks; s u c h a s corn. Food P r o d u c t i o n : ○ Algae c a n b e cultivated o n unsuitable land with water that c a n n o t b e u s e d for food p r o d u c t i o n Water Purifier: ○ Algae c a n b e g r o w n i n w a s t e w a t e r o r i n d u s t r i a l effluent ( s e w a g e d i s c h a r g e d i n t o a river o r s e a ) a n d c a n purify p o l l u t e d w a t e r while p r o d u c i n g e n e r g y - r i c h biofuel

How. Algae can benefit consumers? ? ? ● E n g i n e Ready : ○ ● A l g a e - d e r i v e d diesel c a n b e p u m p e d i n t o e x i s t i n g diesel a u t o m o b i l e s w i t h o u t making major changes to car engines or the infrastructure P r o d u c i n g algae d o e s n o t c o m p e t e w i t h s o u r c e s of food, r e n d e r i n g t h e food-vs. -fuel quandary a moot point ( u n l i k e e t h a n o l o r biodiesel)

Perspective 2 Environmenta l Damage

Explanation ● Production of algal biofuels is neither commercially nor environmentally sustainable ● Attainable production levels are a fraction of those that were claimed ● Amount of biofuel produced from prolonged culture of algae in pilot-scale systems is actually not too dissimilar from those of terrestrial plant ○ around 5, 000 to 10, 000 litres per hectare per year

Two. Perspectives for Viewpoint #2 ● (scientific perspective) The production of algae has negative effects for the environment ● Too much Algae can harm an aquatic ecosystem ● Algae production consumes more energy, higher greenhouse gas emissions, uses more water than other biofuel sources ● (Economic perspective) Cost associated with reversing the negative effects from Algae production would be high and unnecessary compared to alternatives sources (corn)

Explanation ● According to the charts algae fuels are expected to release more Carbon Dioxide per MJ then diesel fuel. (~0. 07 MJ for diesel, while ~0. 1 MJ for algae fuel) ● The energy yielded for algae fuel is almost similar for energy used to produce it. This ends up having a small net yield and may not be sustainable.

Dowe agree? ● Based on the research and available data, we believe that algae fuel would be a good source of renewable energy. ● However, we also believe that there needs to be a better more efficient way to be able to manufacture/ produce usable algae. ● With oil and fossil fuels being pumped out, having this source of energy will greatly help out the future generations.

Conclusion ● Research and development could improve a lot in this field and could have potential of become the biofuel of the future. ● Having already discovered about 1000 species of algae that have a chance to be fuel, who knows how many other types can be discovered. ● Having so many species discovered, may lead to having more energy extracted out of these organisms. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=e. WMQysr. BGDk&t=359 s

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