The catchiest talk around the world is global warming, and renewable energy. Not because it’s catchy but because it’s worthwhile did this article initiate.

Well, all of us know about algae, the slimy creature that tremendously grows above water sources. Possibly thought of as weeds decades before, are now identified as a potential source of alternate fuel.

Fossil fuels, which are currently the biggest source of fuel, are getting depleted in a very fast manner. A potential alternative could only be a source that could be found aplenty.

What makes them a potential source of fuel?

Pond scum (the common term by which algae are referred) utilizes the solar energy incident on them to carryout photosynthesis and produce energy which is stored as oil.

Experts estimate that thousands of gallons of oil can be harvested from algae in a year per acre, when compared to 30 gallons from corn; 50 gallons from soybeans with the same growth parameters.

Now let’s see the reasons that make algae a successful fuel source:

Algae are the fastest growing plants in the world

Half of their weight is oil

Algal lipid oil can be converted into bio-diesel for cars, trucks, and for that case even airplanes

Now let us take a closer look at how algae produce oil. Actually micro-algae generate lipids in the form of triacyglycerols (TAGs). The strange fact is that some micro-algae can be triggered to accumulate extensive quantities of lipids, greater than half of their biomass.

Now the question is how do algae grow so quickly?

While some algae reproduce sexually, some asexually, many combine both modes. Some green algae alter the type of reproduction owing to changes in environmental conditions, like lack of moisture or nutrients.

What’s the latest news from algae fuel sector?

There are emerging processes that uses genetically modified (GM) strains of algae and reduce the cost of making fuel. Such GM algae could be grown in enclosed plastic tubes exposed to sun.

Getting back to initial discussion, how well does the algae impact global warming reduction?

Carbon producing power plants, or manufacturing plants, are one of the major contributors for global warming. On the other hand it is interesting to note that this CO2 is used by algae for photosynthesis. Thus the CO2 from such power plants and for that case any such facility could be discharged into algal farms which will utilize them and convert them to energy.

Bio Diesel fuel is a diesel equivalent, processed fuel derived from biological sources, such as vegetable oils, which can be used in unmodified diesel engine vehicles. It can also be used as a heating fuel in domestic and commercial boilers. There are a number of naturally occurring and renewable resources it can be refined from including algae, vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant greases. It can also be processed where ever the raw materials to make it exist.

Bio diesel fuel is nearly completely free of sulfur and aromatics and is a naturally oxygenated fuel because it is composed of almost 10 percent oxygen. Because of this biodiesel provides a significant reduction in particulate and carbon monoxide emissions then petroleum based diesel fuel.

It is also safe to handle and transport because it is has the biodegradability of table sugar, is 10 tens less toxic then plain salt, and has a high flashpoint, the temperature at which it catches fire, of 300 degrees Fahrenheit as compared to regular diesel fuel which flashes ate 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Bio diesel can also be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend as well as its ability to be used in almost any diesel engine without any modifications.

Many gas stations are beginning to make biodiesel available to consumers and a growing number of transport fleets are using it as an additive to their fuel. It is important that fuel grade bio diesel be refined to tight industry specifications in order to ensure proper performance. One of the benefits of this fuel is it lower engine wear. In fact some vehicle manufacturers are beginning to make engines specifically for bio diesel for this reason.

Because it is a better solvent then regular diesel it tends to clean the engine when first used and removes deposits from the fuel lines which can clog fuel injectors. After switching to biodiesel most car manufacturers recommend changing the fuel filter to help prevent this. Use of this fuel leads to lower engine emissions while improving engine lubrication. Many government fleets on the federal and state level as well as utility fleets are now required to purchase 75 to 90 percent alternative fuel vehicles these days. Since biodiesel is the lowest cost alternative fuel option many of these fleets are converting to its use.

Diesel forms nearly 40% of the energy consumed in the form of hydrocarbon fuels, and its demand is estimated at 40 million tons per year. In the coming years as concerns about rising fuel prices and the lack of renewable energy sources rises the value of bio diesel fuel as a cheap renewable energy source will continue to rise.

The Chinese 2008 Olympics presented a unique challenge to rowing and sailing athletes: the local waterways were clogged with algae. Boats could not navigate through the sticky tangled mass that clung like barnacles to their hulls.

But, what was previously considered a noxious nuisance, is proving to be a godsend. China is converting the algae into gas. They are turning the nutrient-rich goop into biomass fuel to power a new fleet of green algae-mobiles. The solution is an inexpensive retrofit that makes any car on the road a flex-fuel vehicle that can run on virtually any combustible liquid. What Brazil has done with sugar cane, China is about to do with algae.

Algae is an unlimited renewable resource, costing practically nothing to produce, since it needs no planting, tending, or fertilizing. It feeds on the pollution in the water, and can be grown virtually anywhere, including sewage plants. Algae farms will soon be dotting the landscape, churning out vast supplies of algaenol, replacing corn-based ethanol as a better, cheaper alternative to oil.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that it all came about by accident. As the Chinese endeavored to remove the algae, storage of the thick goo quickly became a problem, choking landfills, until an intrepid innovator came up with the brainstorm of turning the green slime into biofuel. Had it not been for the Olympics, the Chinese would never have even bothered to clear it out, and its vast potential might never have been tapped.

It is fitting that the algae is green, since it has the power to turn the entire planet green, eliminating our dependence on oil entirely, making pollution, as well as high gas prices, a thing of the past.

Biofuel is not one of the well known types of renewable energy but an important one to understand. The process begins when plants grow through photosynthesis. There is chemical energy stored inside of it that can be released. What they create is a type of biomass and that can be turned into fuel.

It can then be burned in combustible engines. There is still plenty of research that needs to be done in the area of biofuel. The process right now of converting it is not as effective as it should be. It is also extremely time consuming and expensive to do so.

Biofuel can be in the form of a liquid or a solid. Vegetable oil that is used as an alternative fuel source for some vehicles out there is a type of liquid biofuel. It can be natural or it can be reprocessed after it has been used. Some restaurants give their used vegetable oil to those that burn Biodiesel in their vehicles. Once it has been cleaned they are able to use it without harming their vehicle.

Some types of food items are grown in higher supply than the demand just so that ethanol can be produced. It is usually mixed with about 15 percent regular gasoline in order to make the mix work. It seems that many in the business of growing such food items though do not always agree with this use of it. They feel the foods should be used to feed those in need.

Biofuel is most commonly found in the form of a solid though. For example burning wood falls into this category. You can use it to cook with and to heat your home instead of relying upon natural gas. The downside though is that this can emit dangerous elements into the environment.

There is ongoing testing where the variables are being controlled right now in the area of biofuel. It is believed this type of renewable energy could one day be a breakthrough in the area of supplying fuel for our vehicles. Look for great things to be coming up in this area in the future.

If we can figure out an affordable process for using biofuel we can create more than half of what is depleted annually from our natural resources. This is what facts continue to motivate researchers to move forward and funders to continue with grant money to allow it to happen.

The one issue that seems to be a concern is that in order to generate more biofuel to use, there is a great deal of land that has to be accessed. That could mean land normally used for growing food and other resources is no longer available. A close eye will need to be kept in that particular area.

As some of this concern has come to light, other forms of biofuel to be able to use are being introduced. Since these natural products are able to give off heat that can be transferred to fuel. Even trash can be used to create biofuel. This means less of it will be around to remain in landfills.

One of the most successful biofuel companies out there is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is known as BFC Gas and Electric. They are able to recycle approximately 150 tons of materials each day at their facility. They process wood remains from projects and from sawmills in the area.

There is also paper that is used instead of being wasted when it was used for projects and scraps remain. Sometimes there are types of paper and cardboard that cannot be successfully recycled so it is processed here.

Crops that have been ruined, diseased plants and trees, and the corn stalks that remain after harvest all work as well. More than 40,000 homes in the Cedar Rapids area are provided with electricity from this particular company. They are really working hard to put the use of biofuel to work for the benefit for their community.

In some other areas the use of changing cow manure into biofuel is being done. This is something that not everyone finds appealing but it can be a viable way to get more benefits out of such waste. There are still many details of this type of biofuel to be worked out though.

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Ethanol, a biomass fuel that can be used to power cars and even generate electricity, is the very same ethyl alcohol that’s used to make alcoholic drinks. It is considered a sustainable energy resource because it can be extracted from agricultural stocks and crops. Brazil is the leading country that uses biofuel or bioethanol to run their cars and it’s only second to the US in ethanol production. Using ethanol is gaining popularity in countries around the world as an alternative fuel to gasoline and diesel fuel. It isn’t hard to see why.

Crops such as switchgrass, sugar cane, and corn that are mainly used as feed for stock are the crops that hold the most promise for conversion into ethanol. The production of ethanol starts in photosynthesis, which makes feedstocks and crops grow. These plants are then collected, fermented, distilled or dehydrated to remove the water and burned.

The only problem associated with producing ethanol is the amount of land that would be required to grow enough of these crops to fuel the world. But currently, an alternative process of making ethanol from algae without harvesting it is being studied. If this becomes successful, a growing algae can continuously provide ethanol without having to kill the plant. Research is underway. Scientists are finding new and better ways to turn plants into fuel.

The world will eventually run out of fossil fuels. There’s no more being made. Fossil fuel is not a renewable energy source. When what we have is gone – well, it’s just gone, and there won’t be any more. On the other hand, ethanol, which is made from plants, is a renewable energy source. Corn or grass or whatever that’s used to make fuel this year will be available again next year, and the year after that, and so on into infinity. Ethanol is made from a renewable source unlike gasoline and diesel.

And we can use ethanol now. Most all of the cars on the roads in America can run on a mixture of 90% gasoline and 10% anhydrous ethanol (contains less than 1% water) just fine. That would mean a 10% DECREASE in gasoline consumption. Researchers are also arguing that using ethanol to replace petroleum in generating electricity might be more efficient that using it as a liquid fuel.

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The Algaeus, technically a modified Toyota Prius is one of the first of its kind to run on a mixture of algae based fuel. The company spokespeople have said that the car gets about 150 miles per gallon. Algae could turn out to be the biofuel of the future.

The Algaeus was premiered in San Francisco, California with plans to eventually drive it across the country using only algae based fuel. Right now the ratio of algae in the tank is about five percent but even that is huge strides in the right direction toward an alternative fuel source without negative impact. The algae are supplied in the form of green crude from a company called Sapphire Energy.

In the future, there will be more algae powered vehicles; however for now the company will continue to make an increased amount of algae based jet fuel. The goal is a production of over two million liters of algae jet fuel in the next two years. In addition, it will continue to make algae based fuels for alternative cars and other vehicles as well.

Any move that can change the way that the country looks at fuel and fuel production should be considered to be positive, however, the algae based fuel may be in the distant future as there are other considerations to keep in mind with this and any other fuel source. How will it be transported, and how will it be stored once it gets to different locations for instance. Are there any side effects to the refining of the algae for fuel? Are there dangers to consider? Will the car be eventually all algae powered or will it continue to only use a percentage of this green crude? What is the power capability of a car being run on five percent algae? Every question that can be answered in the present will have a new one to be worked on in the future it seems.

If the Algaeus does make it across the country, (the trip was meant to be from California to New York) there will be millions of questions that are likely to arise. How well the questions can be answered will be important not only for this type of alternative fuels, but for all others as well. For some people, any failure in the alternative fuel market might be a failure across the board however one minded that might be.

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Anybody who has followed the discussions about alternative energy sources with any regularity knows about the controversy that arose over the issue regarding biofuels. Biofuels are inefficient, drive up food prices and cost more both at the pump and through increased taxation for government subsidies of rural farmers such as John Deere and Caterpillar Corporations. (Together, the amount of money they receive in government agricultural subsidies alone would make most rural farmers green with envy and red with anger)

So does that mean that biofuel is really as bad as some people are saying? Well the fact is that corn is one of the largest government subsidized crops in the nation and as such, the government has more freedom to regulate it than they do any other crop and they can then pass on the money to political action committees and other special interest groups. However, when you take the politics out of power, you come up with something resembling pond scum. (No, we are not saying that politicians resemble pond scum, the pond scum is actually useful)

A company by the name of Algenol has found a way to tap into pond scum that is used to create some amazingly effective biofuels. Unlike corn, not many people are standing in line waiting to buy some of that sweet green algae so food prices remain unaffected with this method of producing biofuels. Additionally, the algae is easily farmed and grows at a fairly rapid rate, is fully renewable and (insert audible gasp here) actually makes an efficient and viable biofuel alternative.

The Algenol has lots of different benefits. Here is some of them.

1. Doesn’t need to use live feedstock.
2. Doesn’t need to collect the materials.
3. Doesn’t require environment damaging fertilizers.
4. Uses the water of the sea meaning that we don’t need to waste our drinking water.
5. Uses only a small amount of fossil fuels for the process.
6. No need to plow the land.
7. Desertic land and Sea side land can be used for the production.
8. Algenol has energy balance over 5.5:1 making it powerful than fossil fuels.

So what does all of that mean?

That means that all of the tests to date have shown this to be a viable method for creating biofuels that are clean, efficient and have no adverse affect on people who are having a hard enough time finding decent corn on the store shelves. In other words, no matter what your personal or political stance may be, there is absolutely no reason to protest this algae based bio fuel. All of the arguments both for and against bio fuels and alternative fuels in the past have been squashed by pond scum.

While it may be true that many bio fuels are not all that they are cracked up to be, that does not mean that some of them are not very likely to at least supplement, if not to replace the more traditional fossil fuels. One thing is for certain; when people can produce energy cheaper, more efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner as well as getting it to the end consumer at a more reasonable rate, this will start getting people’s attention. As long as we can keep the people out of the pond scum, we should be okay!

Fuel is what keeps a lot of machines moving. Without it, cars wouldn’t be running, cooking on a stove would not be possible, and most likely, there would not be electricity to make lamps, televisions, and computers work. But since the fuel supply from Mother Earth does not appear to be enough until just a few centuries ahead, many people have informed the rest of the world that there are other sources of energy without having to exhaust all the fossil fuels of the earth. Aside from the sun giving solar energy and radioactive isotopes giving out nuclear energy, biofuels such as biodiesel is the next best thing when it comes to energy sources.

Biodiesel is produced from animal fat as well as plant and vegetable oils. These plants include algae, sunflower, canola, soybean, and jatropha.

Biodiesel is obtained through the process of transesterification. This process involves the chemical reaction of vegetable oil, in rare cases animal fat, and an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to form a product called fatty acid alkyl esters or biodiesel. The alcohols used in the process may be ethanol which would then produce ethyl esters or methanol which would produce methyl esters. The catalyst that is utilized is usually lye. Glycerin, also known as glycerol, is released as a byproduct of biodiesel transesterification. Glycerin is also a type of alcohol.

The process of biodiesel transesterification is a recent discovery known to make the vegetable oil less viscous. The viscosity of the vegetable oil is very important in making the biodiesel because this affects how the biodiesel would be used. Because the transesterfication process produces a biofuel with less viscosity, this biodiesel may be used for car engines, thus replacing petroleum diesel in a diesel-dependent vehicle.

Since most of the fossil fuels are used for cars, biodiesel manufactured through transesterification is just what the world needs right now and for many generations to come.

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Although there are many different ways being experimented with to make biodiesel, algae is one of the most promising production sources for biodiesel. Although algae is by no means a new way to create biodiesel, with the current oil crisis going on in the world it is important for companies to look into new ways that they can quickly and efficiently create biodiesel.

Because algae is a renewable resource, it is a great source. Algae can grow in a wide range of conditions, they can grow in bodies of water or even damp places. Just like plants algae need sunlight and carbon dioxide so that it can grow. They use the sunlight for photosynthesis in which they turn sunlight energy into chemical energy. Algae can be grown in a closed structure called photo bioreactor.

In a photo bioreactor you can control the environment which will make you be able to create algae at a much faster rate then just waiting for it to grow in an open pond. The photo bioreactor can be set up to harvest algae by setting it up with nutrients and algal seed.

Different types of photo bioreactors include tanks, plastic sleeves or bags and even glass or plastic tubes. To grow algae at home you simply take a container and put a small amount of algae culture in it. To grow algae for biodiesel you need specific strains from the biodiesel.

If you add an aquarium bubble stone you will increase the growth and help the algae circulate. The only things you will need is CO2 nutrients, fertilizer, and some type of light source. Temperature range depends on the strain that you are using. Suggestions for light sources are fluorescent bulbs and even natural light which will both efficiently do the job.

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Bacteria that produce hydrogen, munch waste-water goo and generate electricity in the process may be on their way to producing a viable energy source.

Prathap Parameswaran and his colleagues at Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have discovered a more efficient method to extract energy from the bacteria. A statement from ASU describes it this way: “Microbial electrochemical cells… are able to use bacterial respiration as a means of liberating electrons, which can be used to generate current and make clean electricity. With minor reconfiguring such devices can also carry out electrolysis, providing a green path to hydrogen production.”

The key? Relationships. Add some bacteria called homo-acetogens to the “sticky matrix of sugar and protein” formed by the original “anode” bacteria and the anodes “could convert hydrogen to current more efficiently,” the ASU report says.

Tina Casey with CleanTechnica.com reported Sunday that while “the field of microbial fuel cells is still relatively new,… it has been developing rapidly thanks in part to interest by the U.S. military’s move away from fossil fuels.” She also mentioned in a post Sunday that “New Zealand researchers have been exploring a process for reclaiming high pressure steam from waste water, which can be used to generate electricity” and that in the United States, a number of companies are converting waste water to biofuel.

And the ASU researchers acknowledge being a long way from commercialization of the process. Cesar Torres, a co-author of the study, said: “I think over the next five to 10 years, the community will bring a lot of information that will be really helpful and that will lead us to good applications.”

For more on microbial energy developments, read this past post on algae biofuels.

The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization is a nonprofit dedicated to improving our region’s quality of life by increasing its production and use of clean and alternative energy. The SJVCEO works with cities and counties and public and private organizations to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout the eight-county region of the San Joaquin Valley.

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