technology that allows Algae Into Crude Oil

Richmond, Washington – The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), has announced a break-through technology that allows algae aka pond scum to be converted into crude oil in under one hour.

A mixture that is largely composed of water and which contains only 10-20% algae is funneled into a special pressure cooker of sorts to undergo the conversion process. Now, this is no ordinary pressure cooker as it contains some advanced technology to filter out phosphorous & oil materials. The temperature inside the cooker reach 660 degrees Fahrenheit and the pressure 3,000 pounds per square inch.

At that point, gravity does the rest by letting the bio-petroleum rise to the surface and come out of one end of the cooker. One scientist at the facility believes that this fuel may one day be an alternative to traditional crude oil products of gasoline, diesel fuel, and even jet fuel. It should be noted that the pressure cooking process creates a crude oil.
It must be further refined before it can be combusted in an engine. One additional benefit is that methane gas is recovered in process and left over water can be used to grow more algae.

“Cost is the big roadblock for algae-based fuel,” said Douglas Elliott, the laboratory fellow who led the PNNL team’s research. “We believe that the process we’ve created will help make algae biofuels much more economical.”

“Not having to dry the algae is a big win in this process; that cuts the cost a great deal,” said Elliott. “Then there are bonuses, like being able to extract usable gas from the water and then recycle the remaining water and nutrients to help grow more algae, which further reduces costs.”

On The Web:
Algae converted to crude oil in less than an hour, energy department says
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/algae-converted-crude-oil-less-hour-energy-department-says-2D11762083