Energy Game Changer? Scientists Turn Algae into Crude Oil in Less Than an Hour

Great News!!!
Energy Game Changer? Scientists Turn Algae into Crude Oil in Less Than an Hour

LONDON, 23 December - US scientists believe they may have cracked one of the great biofuel conundrums. They have turned a thick soup of algae into a mix of crude oil, gas, water and plant nutrients in less than an hour. That is, they have taken 60 minutes to do what Nature does – at great pressures and temperatures – over millions of years.

Better still, the researchers at the US Government's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) believe they have invented a continuous process that is not only faster than the experimental methods pioneered so far for making oil from natural growing things, but cheaper, and more self-sustaining.

Hallelujah!!

This is fantastic! Finally, an answer, a perfectly planet-friendly one, and I am delighted. Perhaps the best Solstice Gift ever; as today, the sun begins it's northward trajectory once again (here in the Northern Hemishpere), a light at the end of the rape/pillage of the planet's very foundations has been discovered - by Science!!

somewhere between 50% and 70% of the algal carbon is converted to potential energy in the form of crude oil, which in turn can be made into aviation fuel, gasoline or diesel.

The leftovers are clean water, a mix of fuel gases and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that can be used to nourish more algae.

APPLAUSE!!

This is very exciting...don't you think, ATS?
Yes, it still takes serious "energy" to do - super hot temps and high high pressure - and they are only doing little bits at a time.... but still!!

O Happy Season, Blessed Science, and Mysteries Revealed! We aren't totally doomed yet!

~wild

reply to post by wildtimes


Very Cool! S&F

Watch... algae will become illegal next... "they" will send troops to protect all the ponds from invaders

And there will be a war over the oil companies and the algae companies, which will lead to world war three

ye think?

LOL

Merry Christmas Wildtimes

Well, I'm pretty sure this topic is already a thread, BUT that said, it's not new. And usually, it's a negative balance sort of thing in that it takes more energy to reform the biomass into fuel than you get back from the fuel.

Your research topic is: Thermal Depolymerization. That's what this is, and it's old hat.

reply to post by wildtimes


Wonder what the big Energy company's think of this. Guessing someone will be getting bumped off as this is a game changer if correct

S+F

reply to post by Bedlam


Is it? I looked in Fragile Earth. If it's elsewhere, sorry...
still - good news! Wanted to spread it around.

reply to post by wildtimes


S&F Great find! This very exciting & I will be looking forward to see how many
companies will participate. It's got to be much safer than drilling for everyone
& the whole planet. It would be nice if they could bring the cost of fuel down.
Happy Holidays!

Cheers
Ektar

I don't think this find is a step in the right direction.
It will only keep people locked into the control of Big Oil instead of pursuing clean alternatives as they should be.

-Peace-

reply to post by Eryiedes


True that, Eryiedes.
But, it's still a start. My kid is a scientist/engineer working on development of hydrogen fuel cells...
having a rough time figuring out the formula, but at least people ARE working on this stuff. And it's far less "invasive" than current techs.

I see someone did post a similar story in the Sci/Tech forum. I was just so excited that I posted it without thoroughly searching. Ah well, a few more of us are now aware of it.

reply to post by ravon300


It will either be monopolized or bought off and suppressed.

5% chance it will actually break through and improve our QoL

Wow, you guys are so pessimistic!!

Let's try, just for today, to think of it as a good sign. Just. Today. I'm tired of weeping for this planet and our self-induced plight. Cynicism is contagious - but SO IS OPTIMISM!!!

Cheers all!! Here's to all of us, and being glad to be part of this community - where we balance cynicism with optimism, 24/7/365.

WE
ARE
ATS!!

wildtimes
Wow, you guys are so pessimistic!!

Of course we are, we on ATS know what happens to alternative energy sources than good ole oil.

It gets killed, suppressed, bought off...I mean imagine what would happen if big oils companies would lose 1 cent on their profits!! Big oil companies are also too stupid to finance alternative sources themselves, yeah they rather kill whats left of the oil to make it even more expensive!

Oh and, more fuel burning from any source will just make our pollution problems worst...

Sorry, but the realistic won over the optimistic.

wildtimes
reply to post by Bedlam

 

Is it? I looked in Fragile Earth. If it's elsewhere, sorry...
still - good news! Wanted to spread it around.

I swear I'd been reading the algae thread for days but maybe I'm hallucinating.

reply to post by Bedlam


Nope! You weren't. I already said I see it was posted in Sci/Tech. Apparently it's okay to have it here, too, or the mods will be by presently.

In any case, would you like to point us to your concerns and thoughts, or repost them here, in the Fragile Earth forum?

I understand what the posters above are saying - yes, these things often get marginalized or pooh-poohed, but that doesn't take away the good intentions that SOME people have, and are working on. And as the poohers die off, the youth will step up. I prefer to remain optimistic; it's a very slow process.

It's a travesty that solar and wind haven't been properly funded or given a grace period....
it is also possible to desalinate sea water...
but I'm sure you know those things, so I don't want to exacerbate your deja vu....

wildtimes
It's a travesty that solar and wind haven't been properly funded or given a grace period....
it is also possible to desalinate sea water...

I agree that it's a travesty that solar, wind ,tidal or geothermal power does not have the full funding of the people to put the spectre of Big Oil in it's grave but something else occured to me as I perused a Fukashima thread.
Algae comes from the ocean.
The same ocean that's now had radiation flowing into it with increasing intensity for the last two years and soon to be going on three with no end in sight. According to the top marine biologists, the oceans of the world will be rendered devoid of life within two centuries as a result of Fukashima at this rate.
So, my question is does this new process of creating oil also have a foolproof method for removing all the radioactivity in it as well because I don't think desalinization will be enough this time around.
Just some food for thought...
(Sorry for seeming so negative WT)

-Peace on Earth-

Turns it into algae-oil, or crude oil? As in, does this work in a standard automobile, or must their be a conversion in order?

Also, what is the net greenhouse effect from this "crude oil" compared to conventional crude?

If it's just as dirty as conventional oil, then it's not really something to be cheering on about.

It might actually do more harm than good, as it would disincentivize research and development towards cleaner energy sources.

reply to post by wildtimes


I'm all for algae oil, as long as the GMO algae doesn't get into the environment. This is TDP, which I was really interested in at one point but it's in general not energy efficient, the energy to heat the biomass under pressure makes it sort of inefficient.

If you're interested in the process, I think Changing World Technologies was the best one but they eventually went bankrupt and sold their IP to someone.

webedoomed

Also, what is the net greenhouse effect from this "crude oil" compared to conventional crude?

It's about a wash. The algae takes CO2 out of the air to make the biomass, you return it when you use the oil. The conversion process is a bit net negative so there's some added energy there that's CO2 positive.

The TDP process generally makes biodiesel or something close.

We have known about this tech for quite awhile now. Could have done it a decade ago and they didn't. I seriously doubt it will change anything. You can poke a hole in the ground and this stuff comes out with its own pressure no pump needed. Why would you go through the trouble of growing and harvesting algae?

reply to post by Pimpintology

You can poke a hole in the ground and this stuff comes out with its own pressure no pump needed. Why would you go through the trouble of growing and harvesting algae?

In order to preserve our planet, and stop poking holes in Her.

Bedlam
Well, I'm pretty sure this topic is already a thread, BUT that said, it's not new. And usually, it's a negative balance sort of thing in that it takes more energy to reform the biomass into fuel than you get back from the fuel.

Your research topic is: Thermal Depolymerization. That's what this is, and it's old hat.

I thought this was a newer process and breakthrough to do it in sixty minutes.

The Bot