April 22, 2009
Strange BiologyFuel from Algae
Could pond scum be the next miracle fuel? If research scientists are successful, you may one day fuel your car with biofuel made from algae. In fact, commercial airlines have already started flight testing the new fuel using blends of standard fuel and algae-based biofuel.
Could you imagine filling up your car with fuel made from algae? It just might happen. (Photo Credit: Julie Fisher/iStockphoto)
Researchers at several start-up businesses in the United States and around the world are studying algae and its use as a biofuel. Algae produces oil as a part of the photosynthetic process. A variety of methods are being used to cultivate the algae. Some companies are growing algae in the Sun using clear pipelines called bioreactors. Other companies are cultivating algae under natural conditions in ponds. Solazyme, a company located in San Francisco, has developed a method to grow algae without a need for the Sun or artificial lights.
The algae cultivated by researchers at Solazyme is grown inside stainless steel vats. The scientists use genetically-modified strains of algae that get energy from sugar rather than from sunlight. The normal metabolic processes undergone by the algae create an oil that can be further processed into a variety of biofuels.
Making fuel from algae is not a new idea. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy headed research into algae's use as a biofuel beginning in the late 1970s. While research in previous years focused on using algae in situ (that is, where it exists naturally), today's research is focused on enhancing algae's ability to make oil and, as illustrated above, cultivating it outside of natural conditions.
Researchers are studying ways to efficiently make biofuel from algae. (Photo Credit: Frank Schoettke/iStockPhoto)
For example, researchers at the University of Virginia are studying ways to enhance the growth rate of algae used to make biofuel. The research team's current hypothesis is that feeding algae carbon dioxide and other organic matter will significantly increase its growth rate and oil production. The latter method mentioned could be used as a means to reduce human waste and atmospheric carbon dioxide, while producing a usable fuel source.
What makes algae a better source of biofuel than other types of vegetation? Research indicates that algae produces more oil per acre than corn or switchgrass, two other popular sources of biofuel. In addition, algae can be grown under a variety of conditions and in a variety of locations. This characteristic makes algae suitable for growth in places where other plants would be unable to grow.
Biofuel made from algae has already been shown to be a successful replacement for typical petroleum-based fuel in cars and airplanes. Continental, Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, and Virgin Airlines have used a mixture of biofuel and standard fuel in test flight demonstrations. Though the time when you can fill your car's tank with fuel made from algae may still be far off in the future, current research indicates that algal-based biofuel is a clear possibility.
Comments
Comment from: HayleeB4CHS
October 27, 2009 04:35 PM [#]
when I think of algae I think it seems nasty. I never knew algae could be used for fuel! that could really save our planet!
Comment from: Nikki
February 27, 2010 12:01 PM [#]
This is a very interesting article. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this will someday come true.