Algaculture

Algaculture: a form of aquaculture involving the farming of algae.

So far my research of algae bio-fuels has been very informative and productive. Now that I am completely convinced that algae fuels are the solution to oil crisis and the greenhouse gas emissions, it is time for me to begin investigating the algaculture process. I hope to discover the most effective of algae varieties, and their different contributions.

Starting off: Microalgae is the preferred form of algae for crop production. Microalgae come in different forms such as phytoplankton, microphytes, and planktonic algae. When growing algae it is extremely necessary to obtain a pure culture in order to cultivate it. Each variety of algae has its own traits; one outsider could ruin the whole bunch.

The pure culture of algae is then placed into a PBR, also known as a photobioreactor. Photobioreactors are commonly referred to as “closed systems”, compared to a swamp pond; virtually any closed transparent container would work. The closed systems must remain at a controlled temperature, deserts work well, for the algae to produce regularly.

Photobioreactors are often designed into round tubes or long plastic sleves, both connected to a hose that is placed at the bottom. It is these hoses that inject the necessary Carbon Dioxide for the algae to survive. To harvest the oil the algae solution must be filtered through micro screens first, the cells are then either mechanically crushed, immersed in solvents or both. There are a few different types of chemical oil extraction; Soxhlet, Enzymatic, Expression/Expel press, Osmotic shock, Super critical fluid, and Ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Explanations for the listed extraction processes are on the way.

Fuel or Food?

Not as easy as it sounds; Clarification of water, and use of solar panels.

Miranda, Jeremy, Nick and I quickly discovered that anything can be stolen.

We started out our experiment by placing a kettle on concrete and a ceramic bowl on the lawn. Each container had a smaller one inside providing a place for the saltwater to heat up and turn in to vapor. The kettle on the sidewalk had a plastic top, where the ceramic bowl had a glass cover. We noticed soon after placing them in the direct sunlight that the container with the glass cover started condensing its vapor to water more quickly.

As the time passed we set a note next to the experiment explaining our situation and asking for people to leave them alone. To our complete surprise someone/something came by and snatched our bowls, our experiment!! We were in utter disbelief; this ended our first round of experimentation.










Bye bye bowls.

But, carry on we must.

We tried warming a kettle on a low heat in the oven, with the same idea. Soon we realized that if any water were to condense and drip down would be fizzled up and leave behind only salt residue.

To the next idea: We tried to bring water to a higher temperature on the stove top, pour it into a small cup and place a chilled glass over it. All in hopes that the steam rising from the heated water would condense quickly when it reached the chilled glass. Although it was a good idea the process was painstakingly slow.

One of the last ideas we had was to cover the little kettle we were using to heat the salt water on the stove and harvest the condensation being produced inside the glass lid. Simmering the water on a low heat provided a warm but not scorching home for water condensation. About every minute we tilted the lid and poured the clarified water into a dish. This final experiment turned out to be the most successful process recovering around one fourth of a cup of fresh water for every cup of salt water, per hour.



Solar Panel Project:

This one was a duzey. Our first attempt at conducting solar energy consisted of three solar panels with inter-twisted wires and a small moter.
Left it alone for a while. Nothing happened.

We opened and destroyed many items durring this process. They include a Hannah Montana keyboard, a pair of headphones, a disposable camera, heat conductors, an iPod, and other miscellaneous objects.

I regret to inform you that we did not notice any sign of solar current. Mission Failed.

We will try again to find something requiring a lower voltage or by using solar powers that provide more voltage.

Link to JPEG documents

Hey everyone, I have posted the text for all of my reports so far. Here are the JPEG files with graphics included.

Enjoy!

Ruthie Sauvageau