Turning algae into oil the NASA way

SmartPlanet TalkbackShare your ideas and expertise on this topic

Subscribe to this discussion via RSS

•  
  1

  rwfeller

  08/26/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  This kind of video needs to be seen by youth to make connections to STEM courses and careers. This excites and inspires kids...I've posted it on a free site www.stemcareer.com for those seeking and promoting STEM careers.
  
  Contact me with other ideas or collaborative efforts to help fill the innovation and creative STEM pipleline needed in the new economy
  

•  
  2

  MADMAX711

  08/27/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  This is what I have been talking about. Some of these scientists have good ideas and intentions, but let's get real.
  
  Why do we need some special manufactered plastic container?
  
  What about using re-cycled plastics, and even what about harvesting algae that already exists, tons and tons upon tons, in our lakes and oceans.
  
  I hate the phase "of course this would take some time".
  
  Algae actually grows very fast, and replenishes itself even faster from harvested areas. If algae is already dense then the sunlight that it takes to make it grow faster, does not get to the base of the plant, just like a tree deep in a dense forest that gets no sun.
  
  And excuse me Mr. scientist, but could you not make much more methanol from algae than oil?
  Is not methanol a cleaner, and modern fuel?
  
  C'mon America!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

•  
  3

  trog7

  08/27/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  ... the other alternative - instead of utilising the water to support the algae , USE the water to as the fuel!
  There have been various methods over the past 100 years of actually burning Water in an internal combustion engine ... besides the most obvious of splitting the water into its gas components of Oxygen and Hydrogen.
  The resultant by-product from these process is water again from the exhaust - and no noxious fumes etc. ...

•  
  4

  mheartwood

  08/31/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  I want to commend Johnathan Trent on his wonderful work. This is exactly the kind of thing we need going forward. While there are still issues that will take time, such as making re-usuable membranes, and making these membranes from recyled materials or alternative sources, the process looks hopeful.
  
  For those who think harvesting free-range algae is the answer, they should try it before the speak. Algae is not a single plant like a tree, but a colony of single-celled plants. The moment you start to attempt to harvest it, it tends to break up, thus making the effort much more difficult and costly. To make matters worse, free-range algae, especially the fresh water variety, is not as oil intensive, and thus is less useful as a fuel source.
  
  The use of the membranes is clearly to cultivate the best kinds of oil-prodiucing algae into denser colonies with higher oil yeilds per volume and to make harvesting it easier to the point of being economical.
  
  If this process were invested in by some seriously green-minded venture capitalists, I could see a demonstration plant being ready in 5 to 10 years.

•  
  5

  papaderf

  09/15/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  This is already being done by Valcent.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyoKTbxerpQ

•  
  6

  Stragger

  09/16/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  As a scientist, I must say that this is great step in bio-fuel R&D. But, no one should expect this to replace the need for oil drawn from the earth, but rather another way to collect the sun's energy to REDUCE the consumption of fossil fuels.
  
  Please note:
  
  1. NASA is funded entirely by the taxpayers of the USA, which is fine. But I hope to see some brilliant biochemists in one of the DOZENS of public sector companies (not just Valcent) make quantum leaps in processes needed to advance this technology.
  
  2. The "oil" produced by algae is not the same as fossil fuel, and it can be made to burn very efficiently.
  
  3. Genetically engineered algae will be the key to high-quality high-yield bi-products... BUT we'd better be careful putting them in our oceans. (Can you imagine the potential disasters for our food chain?!)
  
  4. Plastic bottles are NOT osmotic membranes, but after the algae-growing process is refined and scaled-up, the use of recycled materials may have some applications.
  
  5. How the heck did someone who thinks we can burn water for fuel ever get to this website? Maybe a link from Astrology Today or Star Magazine?

•  
  7

  JCitizen

  09/22/09 | Report as spam

  See femtobeam.com...

  if you want to see more. They have a very efficient process that doesn't concern the ocean, and can even be done in the dark with extremely efficient processes.
  
  Don't underestimate the power of life!!! Especially diatomaceous life. The fuel they most easily create is methanol, which can be processed now, by fuel cells! This is not future stuff! I'm talking NOW!
  
  Using methanol is cheap enough we can do it now, and it will at least only introduce 35% as much carbon to the atmosphere compared to gasoline!
  
  We can absorb that carbon by the renewal process to make more methanol!!! It is a no brainer!! I can't believe anyone can seriously look at anything else! Hydrogen, even if stored in borax hydride can be more energy wasting to produce and store that it is worth. And we have STILL not solved the contaminate problems with the fuel cell.
  
  Methanold is ALREADY HERE, and well, and gaining manufacturing concerns a 45 to 55% return on investment with this system!!
  
  This is for sale ALREADY in a neighborhood near you! Wake up! And smell the coffee!!

•  
  8

  jscam87@...

  09/28/09 | Report as spam

  Interesting but poor premise

  The difference between a scientist and an engineer is that a scientist tries to discover things and is equally happy when he/she fails, as that too advances science. An engineer takes the science and builds with it, and is NOT HAPPY with failure, other than to study and improve future engineering projects.
  The idea of algae is great science and has great value. The PREMISE that we need to go in the ocean to save AGRICULTURAL LAND is COMPLETELY false and actually misleading. The LAND neded for algae does not nee to be farmland. In fact, with sunlight at a premium, a desert -with no agricultural value- is the idea place for algae, as is curently being proved in Arizona. If you have ever flown over the USA on a clear day, you know we have plenty of desert.
  To further separate science from engineering, how are these bags to be harvested? WHEN they break, any problems? When a shark takes a big bite, what do you think? Hurricanes? How abou the impact on the sealife when you have these HUGE rafts of algae that block the sun from the ocean floor below?
  Again, science gets an "A". Taking that science, providing a false premise (need to save farmland so go to the ocean), and move production to an expensive, dangerous environment gets an enginering "F". This happens all the time and is the cause of an enormous waste in money.
  Science is great, but call an engineer before you try to build.
  And then call a businessman, because the methanol argument seems to have merit.
  Good luck to us all!

•  
  9

  cronin_john@...

  09/29/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  A startup (last 5 years) in NH and Boston called Mascoma is doing this.

•  
  10

  cronin_john@...

  09/29/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  A company (start up) in NH and Boston is doing this. It is called Mascoma. Not the bank.

•  
  11

  IT Eagle

  10/15/09 | Report as spam

  Why NASA?

  This sounds great, we can tell the Arab nations to go drink their oil while we produce our own fuel. But why is NASA researching this? I thought they were for space exploration? Wouldn't this project be more for the Energy Department?

•  
  12

  Robert Tulip

  10/18/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  This is exciting work. I have been investigating the use of polymer bags filled with fresh water as flotation and pumping devices for ocean based algae production: see http://www.biodieselnow.com/forums/p/25056/167390.aspx

•  
  13

  kilokila

  10/22/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  Can't wait for the times when my car will be running on 'ALGAE'!!

•  
  14

  fw32

  11/19/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Turning algae into oil the NASA way

  What cost and time interval required to implement at an commercially economic level? Til we have those answers it's pie in the sky not oil in the bag.