BioDieselNow - Renewable biodiesel fuel

hi everyone:

 the problem is the low amount of oil in macro algae, much less then in micro algae, usually less then 5%.  so you can not make money.  i was wondering if it might be possible to genetically engineer the macro to produce more oil, then wow, easy to grow, collect and process compared to micro algae.

 
any genetic engineers out there.

Carbon-Trader,

When I first came to this forum I was looking for info anyone had on macro-algae as a biofuel?// I heard the Japanese were growing Laminaria and using super heated steam directed it at the macro-algae and was able to collect methane from it....I was wondering if it could be done with red macro-algae that I grow in tanks under controlled enviroment??? Would be interested to know if there are any grants available to research this idea since I grew over 2.3 metric tons in 21 tanks in the month of April alone!  

I saw the foa. report you placed in your intial post...couldn't find red macro-alage on that list...but it talks about oil content...again what about the ability to extract methane??? Anybody know??

Seaweedman

Maybe it is better idea to use macro algae as bioethanol feedstock? It conteins  low amount of lipids (oils) but how about sugars, starches, cellulose?
Does anyone have idea what is chemical composition of seaweed or other easy to grow macro algae rich of above mentioned chemicals? 

Ahto,

Brown & Red macro-algae(s) algin & fucoidan...agar & carrageenan are sulfated galactans which, are mucopolysaccahides refferred to as Phycopolymers and depending upon the species can be anywhere from 25% to 40% and significant amount of cellulose, though I don't know the figure...

Seaweedman

Hi SWM,

Done your move yet? How did it go?

Just a thought here. Have a look at the thread on Pyrolysis and do a google search. May have some answers for you.

 Cheers

Hi Seaweedman,

Just of the top of my mind methane is the simplest (bio)fuel, it has a low caloric value and is a bulk product. It might be that the costs of releasing, collecting, compressing and storing it do not add up to a profitable business, unless you do it on a really huge scale. But as an integrated concept on your site it might help you cut costs in heating your algae tanks (if they require any heating?). My best guess would be to remove from the algae all the valuables like the hydrocolloids (agar, carrageenan, alginates etc.), oils (good source for poly-unsaturated fatty acids) and using the remainder to extract the methane from.

For seaweeds some work was done and again the FAO has a a report on it. In chapter 9 and scroll about halfway down:

 http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/006/Y4765E/y4765e0c.htm#TopOfPage 

From the comments there it suggests that one has to anearobically digest the biomass in order to generate sufficient methane. The above link also gives some basic processes on how to remove and purify the hydrocolloids (but you probably know this already). The literature quoted sounds interesting as well. If you have trouble getting it, please let me know (I might be able to get it for you).

Best regards, Carbon-trader

Carbon Trader,

Sorry its taken me so long to reply, I've been extremely busy...but I wanted to say thanks for that info...I actually saw that article before, its a good reference site for a variety of subjects. Before thinking about bio-fuel I was debating about selling my stuff for hydrocolloidal companies many years ago and found out alot about it then.

Thanks, Seaweedman

Slippery,

Thanks for the info on Pyrolysis...I did check that out and found alot. I guess what I really want to do when I joined this site in the beginning was to find out the possibilities of using seaweed as Bio-fuel?? I found alot of interesting info on that subject but I don't know if I want to go through the whole process of turing it into bio-fuel...I just like growing seaweed with the technology of "tumble culture" with or without a re-circulated polyculture system and/or to clean eutrophic "bodies" of water in the process. To answer your question; I have been extremely busy and just now could write this...yesterday I just finished my four and a half years of research on how to grow it under all sorts of conditions and turned it over the aquaculture division of NOAA which, was involved as a joint partnership in my research. It will help start a new direction in sea plant aquaculture and businesses. With the small "footprint" of the farm; producing a mininium 23mt/yr (this is all my one person workload could handle) AND cleaning 90,000 gallons of water/24-hour period..it can ONLY have a POSITIVE impact on the whole. My vision for its implication would be for other like minded people to get involved and produce a whole lot of macro-algae for biofuel and biofiltrate eutrophic waters into cleaner oxygenated water. Now all that is needed is for someone to get involved in producing biofuel from it...

Have a good day Slippery,

Seaweedman 

Slippery,

Thanks for the info on Pyrolysis...found alot on it...sorry it has taken me so long to get to you but I have been extremely busy...I'm sorry I can't elaborate at this time because it is very late but I just wanted to write this off to you so you don't think I just left you hanging..I'm not like that...I just wanted to say thanks...I'm still looking it over.

Hope all is well

Seaweedman

Seaweedman,

I just get referred to your discussion. We believe Algae is the future in Bio-diesal. We are beginning a major project and major investment to go after this. We have customers, we have infrastructure- How can I get in touch with you for more discussions in depth.

Mtallent

Dear Seaweedman

I am new in this branch,but trusted by friends with the probability of investing in macro algae.

This for conversion to bio diesel.My intentions is to grow the macro algae in Indonesian open sea,no lab.tanks.

Are you interested??

Seaweedman, 

I work for a Seattle-based biofuel firm and we are very interested in macroalgae as a feedstock for biodiesel/ethanol. Please give me your contact information and we can discuss your operations and how we might be able to help scale up your production. Thanks,

Evan

 Hi Algea man,

I like to discuss the subject with you in detail,and I may have the funds.