Widescale Biodiesel Production from Algae

University of New Hampshire, Physics Department : UNH Biodiesel Group ^ | Michael Briggs

[RightWhale]

Enough talk. Do it.

[DuncanWaring]

Here's a better idea: Thermal Depolymerization.

Makes use of existing waste. Don't have to grow anything new

[randog]

Enough biodiesel to replace all petroleum transportation fuels could be grown in 11,000 square miles, or roughly nine percent of the area of the Sonora desert.

Enviros will never let it happen. They will declare the Sonora desert "pristine" and that's all she wrote.

Next idea.....

[ExSoldier]

"Unlike other solid-to-liquid-fuel processes such as cornstarch into ethanol, this one will accept almost any carbon-based feedstock. If a 175-pound man fell into one end , he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of gas, and 7 pounds of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water."

"SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!! Next they'll be breeding us like cattle!"

"While no one plans to put people into a thermal depolymerization machine, an intimate human creation could become a prime feedstock. "There is no reason why we can't turn sewage, including human excrement, into a glorious oil..."

Now that's a load of......

[BMiles2112]

Great idea. This will be huge.... as soon as it costs less than regular diesel.

[Reeses]

Algae floats. Why not just fertilize the ocean far away from land? It would also feed lots of new sea life we could eat, and suck massive amounts of carbon dioxide right out of the air, allowing everyone to drive around in SUVs, not just John Kommy's family.

[ex-Texan]

One major problem with Biodiesel is over-pricing ! Just last month I called their local dealer and was quoted a price of $ 2.25 a gallon (compared to $ 1.86 for regular diesel). Last week I drove out to their station and saw a posted price of $ 2.46 for Biodiesel and $ 2.25 for diesel. I refuse to be overcharged for a product just because it has a "Green" label.

[tortoise]

Enviros will never let it happen. They will declare the Sonora desert "pristine" and that's all she wrote.

Exactly. They whine about geothermal in the Great Basin, and that doesn't even involve paving huge areas with big vats, just sticking a pipe in the ground every 20 acres or so and running them all to a small turbine and pumping station. And with pretty high power output so you get a lot of bang for your buck.

They won't be satisfied until the entire world only uses Invisible Happy Magic Power(tm).

[CrazyIvan]

"If a 175-pound man fell into one end , he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of gas, and 7 pounds of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water."

Double those figures for Micheal Moore, and what a lovely idea!

[Husker24]

They wont be happy until the U.S looks like Afganistan.

[nathanbedford]

Is this a publicly traded company?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I missed the part where they specified the price they need for a gallon of biodiesel to make this proposition pay a positive return on investment.

[IrishCatholic]

Actually I think it sucks up oxygen. It is one of the reasons there is a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico the size of Rhode Island. Excessive fertilizers from agricultural production causes algae blooms and depletes the oxygen in the water. On the flip side I could run all of my vehicles off the crap that is on my own lake. I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
Oh, by the way I found that dead zone thing from the National Oceanographic Service (NOS). Just in case you thought it was greenie propaganda.

[randog]

They won't be satisfied until the entire world only uses Invisible Happy Magic Power(tm).

Don't laugh--they call it Zero-Point Energy.

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

"I refuse to be overcharged for a product just because it has a "Green" label."

For most alternative "Green" fuels, you get overcharged because it costs a lot more to produce than conventional, crude-based fuels. The only reason you are not overcharged even more is there are usually tax credits (taxpayer subsidies) attached to these materials.

There are plenty of other alternative sources that can be converted to diesel fuel, including natural gas and coal. Both of these resources would lessen the near-monopoly that OPEC currently enjoys in crude oil. Unfortunately, for the time being nothing can compete with the cost of lifting Saudi oil out of the ground.

I think the best we can do is diversify our energy sources. Hopefully this would put an upper limit on how much crude would cost.

[graycamel]

Apparently they don't suck up all that much oxygen till they die, then they take so much that the fish have none left. There is much less oxygen in water than in air to begin with, and it can't be replenished fast enough. The problem is often solved in lakes around here with oxygen pumps into the water for the fish.

[graycamel]

Theres' only one Al-G I don't want:

[atomicpossum]

One major problem with Biodiesel is over-pricing ! Just last month I called their local dealer and was quoted a price of $ 2.25 a gallon (compared to $ 1.86 for regular diesel). Last week I drove out to their station and saw a posted price of $ 2.46 for Biodiesel and $ 2.25 for diesel. I refuse to be overcharged for a product just because it has a "Green" label.

But how much can you bring price down when you're farming billions of gallons at a time?

[TADSLOS]

Cool! I could create my own fuel in my shower stall!