The Right Way To Look For an Algae Photo-BioReactor

Renewable Energy entrepreneurs are now looking for the best algae photo-bioreactors with the right stuff. What is the right stuff you ask? Well it should be a algae farm that meets a number of challenges: be inexpensive, scalable, ability to handle changing climates at various customer sites.

Low Cost to Execute

The first subject of concern is definitely the cost. As with all systems of a commercial size, cost is very important. The technological innovation at this time has many faces to include row crops, big open pond systems, raceway pond systems and PBR’s. The product you choose should have nutrients to nourish the algae, water and sunshine. Your carbon dioxide inputs can be active or ambient air. Cross contamination of the algal mass is a concern, but the intended use of the algae shall be the best guide.

Constant Harvesting

Harvesting the algal mass will be a concern depending on the system. It will require more effort to harvest algae from an open pond system than it would from a continuous harvesting PBR. Continuous harvesters do just that, always harvest algal cake, you now will only need staff to move the algal biomass to the next stations for drying out and oil extraction.

Oil Removal

* There are 3 well-known methods to remove the oil from oilseeds, and these techniques apply equally well for algal biomass too:

1. Expeller/Press

2. Hexane chemical oil removal

3. Supercritical Fluid extraction

* Expeller/Press

* Expression/Expeller press-When algal mass is dried out it keeps its oil content, which then can be “pressed” out with an oil press. Many industrial manufacturers of vegetable oil use a variety of mechanical pressing and chemical solvents in removing oil.

* While better processes are emerging, an easy process is to use a press to remove a large percentage (70-75%) of the oils from algae.

* Hexane Solvent Method

* Algae oil can be removed using chemical substances. Benzene and ether have been used, but a well known chemical for solvent extraction is hexane, which is comparatively cheap.

* Supercritical Fluid Method

* Supercritical removal involves, pressure and heat to burst open algal cell walls.

No matter what algae method you chose just make sure it meets your needs and production goals.

Algae Biofuel will play a vital part in meeting the worlds growing energy need, Algae has a place in not merely our past, but in our future also.

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