Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Growing Algae in Acre-sized Platforms in Ocean

You are at: Oilgae Blog.

Kansas State University engineer Wenquiao Yuan and his colleague think that growing algae on floating, acre-sized platforms in the ocean could dramatically reduce expenses associated with algae oil production by providing free sources of sunlight, nutrients, controlled temperature and water.

Unless the platform can grow algae several millimeters thick, it would be too difficult to scrape off the biomass for processing into oil.

The algae have responded well to dimpled stainless-steel. But the engineers are not sure why algae grow differently, depending on the type of material and surface texture.

Understanding those "mechanisms of attachment" is the goal of the first portion of the research, which is funded by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). From there, the engineers will likely test their platform system in a smaller pond environment and then take it offshore.

See more: msnbc

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2 comments:

  1. Greetings it is good to see people organization, working in this field, I personally think this is where we need to go lots algae lot of space, lots of energy potential, carbon neutral feedstock what could be better, I have designed a hexangonal, floating bioreactor, which looks cool, I have focused on in my system, algae to biogas, or some other fermetered product!!~! Alage to liquid energy liquid fuel year fermentation!!
    "Algae Bill" New Zealand

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  2. I have developed a range of inventions to enable this process. I am eager to discuss collaboration.

    See http://rtulip.net/ocean_based_algae_production_system_provisional_patent

    http://rtulip.net/

    Robert Tulip

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