Biodiesel+from+algae-+E.+O'Reilly

=**Introduction**= = =
 * As of now the world looks like it will run out of usable oil within the next century, some people are more optimistic than others, they say 100 years while others say we have no more than 50 years of oil remaining. Oil is what heats our homes and gets us from point a to b whether in a car, boat, train or plane as well as running machinery which keeps this world going. Along with the issue of running out of oil we must also come to terms with the fact the fact that this fuel is destroying our atmosphere and that it will eventually be eaten away to the point where we could no longer inhabit this planet. We need a new source of fuel to sustain human life on this planet but which will not continue to destroy the atmosphere as fossil fuels do. People have been trying to find other alternatives to fossil fuels from using solar energy to crops grown on a farm but none have been put into mass use due to problems cropping up in price or availability as well as other complications. Hybrid cars have been a success in the effort to lessen pollution but still require fuel to run. If run exclusively on electricity the cost of batteries would be huge. So the race to a new fuel is still on with many projects underway. One source being looked into is algae and the research into this fuel has shown promise.Algae, the plankton that grows in bodies of water, may very well become the next source for our fuel. This resource has proved to have many benefits as well as draw-backs and research is still underway to try and over come these problems. The main algae being used is called microalgae and, as the name suggests is a microscopic algae. Microalgae was chosen over others because of it's high oil content which is key in it's use as fuel. Using light, Carbon Dioxide and water, algae can make natural oils which when diluted can be used to make biodiesel that can be used in any diesel engine.**

//How do you get fuel from algae?//
The algae itself is not what will be used as fuel but instead the natural oils within the algae are what is of use. The algae will be mass produced in algae farms. The farms will contain large "race track" style ponds which are perfect environments for the growth of microalgae. Carbon dioxide will be constantly bubbled into the ponds, the ponds will be circulated causing the free moving algae to surface repeatedly exposing them to sunlight and allowing them to photosynthesize. The water and algae will then be taken out of circulation and the algae will be extracted from the water, and the natural oils extracted from the algae. Some other methods are being considered now, which I will discuss later. Some of the algae species studied have been shown to be contained of 60% natural oil that would be used as fuel.


 * Raceway pond design^^^**

//Algae's affect on Carbon Dioxide production//
One of the greatest benefits of using this method of fuel over others proposed is that Carbon Dioxide will not be poured into the atmosphere but instead into the algae. Algae like all plants feeds off of Carbon Dioxide, which is the waste produced by fossil fuels. When Algae is grown for Biodiesel the "farms" of water it is grown on will be next to the factories that make the ponds work. The factories will be powered with coal and all Carbon Dioxide waste from these factories will be put right back into the ponds to be used by the algae in photosynthesis. Although not all the CO2 will be used by the algae, this process will greatly reduce the output of it compared to current fuels.This method would thus help to stop the rapid decline of our atmosphere.

Other Benefits
We've already looked at the benefit of reduced CO2, so what else makes Biodiesel from algae such a promising future fuel? Algae is very simple to make, requiring only water of the appropriate temperature, sunlight and CO2. All of these are some of the most abundant resources on Earth, especially considering that algae can grow quite well in brackish or salt water. Another important thing about having few requirements to grow is that this means it can grow anywhere we put the tank. Whether in the desert or forest, so long as there is a tank with temperature control and CO2 being pumped in as well as sunlight, the algae will grow.


 * Bioreactors used as an alternative to open ponds^^**^

Problems with Algae as oil
I've already discussed all the wonderful things that we can achieve by using algae for oil so you're probably wondering why this is not already happening. The main reason right now is cost. Having the algae in ponds is easy enough but you have to worry about other algae species infiltrating the tanks, so a cover is needed which boosts the price. Without some sort of indoor pond or covered/closed system for the ponds it is difficult to control the water's temperature which can cause the algae to die or the rate of evaporation of water from the tanks. These problems are being worked through though; one plan is to grow the algae in special containers called bioreactors which control the algae's light and nutrient exposure as well as temperature. The other method is to grow the algae in closed, dark containers but feed them sugar to speed up their growth considerably, "It's a thousand times more productive than the natural process," said Harrison Dillon, a geneticist and patent lawyer and president of the company working at producing biodiesel from algae, called Solazyme. Both methods have been tried and have succeeded. The future is looking bright for oil from algae. Although the oil is not yet being produced for commercial use it is being made and extensively researched and experts hope that within 3-10 years algae will be widely used.


 * One algae farm in Colorado built by Solix Biofuels^^^

Bibliography:** [|http://www.mercurynews.com/raiders/ci_8479963?nclick_check=1] http://www.oilgae.com/ http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/biodiesel_from_algae.pdf