Alternative Energy

[alfriedar]

http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html

Everyone should see what this guy is doing with Algae
It cold be the end of the oil problem but I am sure the govt will shut this down... but just watch the video on this... it will blow you away.. it did me if its even half true

[kawalekm]

Don't worry about the government trying to shut this idea down. If it can make money, and is taxable, government officials will trip over each other in the race to endorse it.

It actually looks like a very good idea. The exposure sheets allow large amounts of sunlight to get to the algae without water evaporation, contamination, and ease of harvest. Most importantly, different fuels can be made with different strains of algae. It does though look expensive, and since the exposure sheets are plastic, I expect some attrition due to sunlight degradation. Probably the biggest challenge will be making it work and be profitable on a large scale.

On a side note, researchers are looking at related systems at coal fired plants where algae is used to scrub the exhaust gases out of the smoke stacks. It's innovations like these that gives me some hope for the future.
Michael

[JAK]

Cool video.

He claims up to 20,000 gallons/acre per year, from an open pond system.
That is 820,000 kwhr/year per acre ~ 100 kw per acre on average

That works out to 25w per sq m on average. That's pretty darn good.
Photovoltaic is at best about 250w per sq m on average, for horizontal.

So with this vertical setup he's working on, it might be competitive with photovoltaic in terms of energy production, and perhaps eventually, superior for the development of liquid transportation fuel.

If the cost got down to $0.10 per kw-hr, that would be $4.10 per gallon.

[MadTripper]

That is great information. I'd be interested to see a cost comparison between current oil and this type of product. From tip to tail, including the costs for extraction, transport, refining....

Tripper

[MooseToo]

how long until the tree-huggers protest the exploitation of innocent algae for corporate profit ?

[walls0stone]

20 mins' before you thought of that Moose...

I'm just hoping people will put money behind one idea and make it work...rather than 100 ideas and a few bucks tossed at each one.

[12vman]

I just hope that they keep this business in the private sector and not sell out to the gooberment..
Don

[msta999]

Sounds good, we'll have to see how it pans out.

[musicfreak313]

I've seen it on the documentary "Fields of Fuel." I think it's a great source of fuel.

[ryanmercer]

Don't worry about the government trying to shut this idea down. *If it can make money, and is taxable, government officials will trip over each other in the race to endorse it.

It actually looks like a very good idea. *The exposure sheets allow large amounts of sunlight to get to the algae without water evaporation, contamination, and ease of harvest. *Most importantly, different fuels can be made with different strains of algae. *It does though look expensive, and since the exposure sheets are plastic, I expect some attrition due to sunlight degradation. *Probably the biggest challenge will be making it work and be profitable on a large scale.

On a side note, researchers are looking at related systems at coal fired plants where algae is used to scrub the exhaust gases out of the smoke stacks. *It's innovations like these that gives me some hope for the future.
Michael

One problem... Using algae as an alternative fuel is not a new idea. The U.S. Department of Energy studied it for about 18 years, from 1978 to 1996... and the DOE's National Renewable Energy Lab, in 1996 decided that algae oil could never compete economically with fossil fuels. Then again oil was like 20 bucks a barrel then.

[ryanmercer]

Also to toss it out there http://www.knowledgepublications.com *has a book an the algae, as well as numerous other ways to make fuel and/or energy at home. I've personally bought a few of their titles and they are mostly worth the prices. I got an email from them about the algae one Monday, but for the love of me I can't find it on the site and I deleted the email.

They have one called "Microbial Processes" but that isn't the new one they were talking about... I believe the new one was just the official DOE publication on it.

[JSUToots]

they actually discuss the use of algae in this amazing movie!
Fuel the Film
The dependence on foreign oil, especially in the recent Bush administration, hurts the U.S. economy with the roaring gas prices. That in turn affects food prices and many more. Why rely on oil? I found an amazing movie which explains all these issues very clearly, and I highly recommend watching it… and showing it at work, school, or anywhere there are large groups of people. It truly raises awareness of global warming, 9/11, and how we can turn to alternative fuel such as biofuel to save costs and moreover, combat the impeding destruction of the environment. Biofuel does not put C02 into the atmostphere like gasoline.. which causes global warming!
http://www.myspace.com/fuelthefilm