Biofuels Industry: Achieved Goal of Algae Oil by Labor Day

[Ivan Seeking]

For those of you who know about my efforts to join the biofuels industry, we did in fact have algae oil by Labor Day, which was the goal this summer. One of my short cuts failed so for now we only got a few grams extracted, with the rest still in the algae, but a number of tests seem to confirm that the oil is there and we are within reasonable range of the target yields. I guess I will have to break down and spend some bucks to get the oil out. Nonetheless, it was cool to finally see some real oil!

Of course we have about a thousand issues to sort out yet, but we are working the problems, and all in all our efforts have been successful. The biggest goal was to test the bioreactor design in 100+ weather and see if we could keep the algae alive and productive, which, after a few modifications, we did.

I just harvested the second batch from a semi-scale [cross section at scale] field test reactor, that ran for two months. Even more encouraging are the number of cost and energy reductions made in the process and design. So far, overall, we are pretty much on target.

 

[Astronuc]

Congratulations, Ivan!

Ever since your announcement, I can't pass a pond, especially one covered in pond scum, without thinking about you.

Cheers!

 

[turbo]

Nice! I like that you might be able to scale-up without too much trouble or expense, once you've got the base stock established.

 

[Integral]

Congratulations, Ivan!

Ever since your announcement, I can't pass a pond, especially one covered in pond scum, without thinking about you.

Cheers!

Yeah, when I see Ivan I think of pond scum too!

 

[hypatia]

Bravo! Hopeing everything runs in your favor. I can't seem to help it either..but feel P.S.O.C {Pond Scum Oil Company} has a nice ring to it.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Yeah, when I see Ivan I think of pond scum too!

What is this, "old men with beards gang up on Ivan day"?

Thanks guys, and likewise Astro, when I drive by the decommissioned Trojan plant, I always think of you.

 

[Astronuc]

What is this, "old men with beards gang up on Ivan day"?

Integral has a beard?

Thanks guys, and likewise Astro, when I drive by the decommissioned Trojan plant, I always think of you.

Well, I have a few more years before I'm decommissioned.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Integral has a beard?

Down to his knees.

 

[Astronuc]

His pics have disappeared from the Members Photo Thread. Got any?

 

[Integral]

Down to his knees.

Yeah, as long as I am sitting on my heels!

Opps! looks I cleaned up some web space, I'll see if I can get some back up soon.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Bravo! Hopeing everything runs in your favor. I can't seem to help it either..but feel P.S.O.C {Pond Scum Oil Company} has a nice ring to it.

Here's the funny thing, for years I have used the ultimate line to win arguments with Tsu: "You're right, I'm wrong, I'm slime." So it seems that life has come full circle, but now she has to call me Mr. Slime.

 

[zoobyshoe]

For those of you who know about my efforts to join the biofuels industry, we did in fact have algae oil by Labor Day, which was the goal this summer. One of my short cuts failed so for now we only got a few grams extracted, with the rest still in the algae, but a number of tests seem to confirm that the oil is there and we are within reasonable range of the target yields. I guess I will have to break down and spend some bucks to get the oil out. Nonetheless, it was cool to finally see some real oil!

I just did some googling to see what the extraction process entailed. There are a few different methods of varying cost and ease. Which are you experimenting with?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

pressure and solvents

I just didn't have enough pressure in my rigged approach, and I didn't want to invest in a good production press until I saw some real results.

I have a relatively cheap back-up plan that should work well. Then, once I see the oil in sufficient quantity, I'll buy a press.

 

[zoobyshoe]

pressure and solvents

I just didn't have enough pressure in my rigged approach, and I didn't want to invest in a good production press until I saw some real results.

I have a relatively cheap back-up plan that should work well. Then, once I see the oil in sufficient quantity, I'll buy a press.

I have no idea what kind of a press you need, but there's nothing like a large hydraulic car jack for creating great pressure.

Edit: Here's someone's home made press for sunflower seeds:

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/oilpress.html

It seems to take a long time: half an hour per batch.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have no idea what kind of a press you need, but there's nothing like a large hydraulic car jack for creating great pressure.

Yep.

There are far more sophisticated approaches, and efficiency is a huge concern, but all in all this part of the process is relatively straight forward.

The hardest part was keeping it alive and healthy in hot weather [this strain likes it around 68 degrees F], but that problem is solved.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

btw, it occurred to me that I should mention that the Trojan plant was a nuclear power plant, and not the other kind of Trojan plant.

 

[Math Is Hard]

btw, it occurred to me that I should mention that the Trojan plant was a nuclear power plant, and not the other kind of Trojan plant.

oops! I had that completely wrong! Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Chi Meson]

Ivan, Do you have a link to the technical aspects/statistics of algae-oil. It sounds like an interesting subject for my students.

 

[glondor]

Thats fantastic Ivan Seeking... NOw all you need to do is find a nice alge farm in mexico or the carribean..low cost, nice weather, year round production...hire me and i will run the joint..lol

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Ivan, Do you have a link to the technical aspects/statistics of algae-oil. It sounds like an interesting subject for my students.

Here's the bible:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/biodiesel_from_algae.pdf

It's out of date but the basis for everything done since.

Here is a good resource
http://www.oilgae.com/algae/oil/oil.html

There are many different algae candidates for oil production and not much is known about many of them. Each has its own unique selection of fatty acids, so each will produce a different quality [or type of] fuel. Some contain no triglycerides, which means that these are not candidates for biodiesel, however they may be useful in other ways as a fuel source, or for the production of bio-plastics.

There is much work to be done. Note also that this is now a competitive field and no one is going to give away their work, so specific information is often difficult or impossible to find.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

One adder:
http://www.nearbio.com/

As of today there are 1552 stations selling biodiesel in the US. On April 25th of this year there were 1142 stations.

So in about 140 days we have added 410 biodiesel stations. And the price of fuel is rising again, which makes bio more competitive.

 

[Chi Meson]

Ivan,
Looking at the USDA "bible," it states that a very optimistic projection of the costs of bio diesel from algae is "two times that of petroleum." That apparently was from 1998. Are there any new projections comparing costs with the almighty barrel of oil?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Ivan,
Looking at the USDA "bible," it states that a very optimistic projection of the costs of bio diesel from algae is "two times that of petroleum." That apparently was from 1998. Are there any new projections comparing costs with the almighty barrel of oil?

DOE bible.

That is the only official estimate that I've seen.

You have to keep in mind that there are about a thousand different approaches to this, and each approach carries its own projected costs and yields. In my scheme, based on projections, real data, and current equipment prices, we would seem to break even at about $2.80 a gallon retail, but it is too early to know for sure.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

In lieu of your last question, I wanted to be sure to include this.
http://www.oilnergy.com/1obrent.htm#since88

http://www.oilnergy.com/hpix/2obrentm.gif

 

[glondor]

How is the process going...

 

[wolram]

Good luck Ivan, your idea must be better than corny fuel.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Thanks guys.

It is coming along, slowly but surely. I expect it will take about another year to pull it all together. There are a number of outstanding issues to be resolved, and we need to test the design in cold weather, which I'm preparing for now. And of course there is the never ending job of improving yields and reducing costs.

 

[Chi Meson]

In lieu of your last question, I wanted to be sure to include this.
http://www.oilnergy.com/1obrent.htm#since88

http://www.oilnergy.com/hpix/2obrentm.gif

Oh, I am aware

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Oh, I am aware

It is ironic that the aquatic species program concluded when oil was at it's lowest price since the early seventies.

Can't help but add a data point at 2000 - Bush elected.

 

[Chi Meson]

Although I'd love to blame Cheney & co. for the rise in fuel prices, let's not give any credit to Billy for low gas prices during the 90s--he should have seen what was coming too (there was no secret there in the industry). There was no policy in place to cause the decline in prices through the 90s, and the low prices were responsible for the rational and irrational exuberance of the time.

The real reason for the continual decline in oil/gas prices (adjusted for inflation) from 1980 through 1998, is the opening of the North Sea Oil reserves. Those rigs started running dry a decade ago. Actually, they were running "wet" as the water that was pumped in ( to push the oil up) started coming out with the oil. The availabilty of "friendly oil" has declined along with it. Oil execs recognized this immediately, and looked for more "friendly" oil and found none.

It appears that there was an attempt to create a vast reserve of "friendly oil." The first step? Build a huge Embassy where the largest unexploited known reserve lay. I think that was intended to be the second step, the intended first step being "mission accomplished."

"Oh go F*** yourself." Evidently the Iraqi oil reserves never occurred to the V.P., the P., and the soon-to-be S. of S. (all of them former Oil execs).

It is rumored that water is coming out of some of the Saudi rigs. The Saudis will never admit it, because that would be the end of their power. This is one reason why the reserves might be vastly overestimated in that region.

One more thing. Thank you Reagan, for using the cheap friendly oil to essentially destroy all research in alternative energy. I blame you Ronnie. But then again, Billy didn't help as much as (ironically) W did with the 2005 energy policy.