Biodiesel can be made from oils that are found in many different types of products. These include algae, winter rapeseed grown in northern Idaho, soybean and corn vegetables, waste vegetable oils or animal fats. Rapeseed, corn or safflower, can be used as a diesel fuel without further processing. However, the process of transesterification reduces the high viscosity of vegetable oil, resulting in a higher-quality fuel. In the transesterification process, vegetable oil reacts with alcohol (methanol or ethanol) in the presence of a catalyst. When rapeseed oil is the feedstock, the products of the reaction are glycerol and rapeseed methyl or ethyl ester (RME or REE). As biodiesel fuels, RME or REE can be used straight or in a blend with petroleum diesel.
The use of algae is the most in intriguing. The same method that is used in converting crop seed oils into biodiesel is employed to harness biofuels from algae and micro algae oils. Unlike land based crops having long growing seasons, it is possible to harvest algae every one or two days. Moreover some forms of algae have an oil content that is more than 75% of its dry weight. The great thing about algae biodiesel is that it has the capacity of producing a maximum of 10,000 gallons of oil per acre of land. Moreover, algae or pond scum is grown practically everywhere. In addition to all this, algae use carbon dioxide found in the atmosphere to help in its photosynthesis of triglycerides. So it is possible to eliminate 90% of the CO2 emissions from a CO2 producing smokestack with the help of an algae farm. So with algae, you not only have an additional source of energy, you also find a means of eliminating all unwanted CO2 from the atmosphere. Biodiesel is the way of the future and we should give as much as we can to help research more ways to make biodiesel.
17 years ago
US Department of Energy stopped working on algae somewhere in the mid-90s, but DARPA has a program on biofuels, including algae. Several private companies doing research too. Continental Airlines conducted an experimental flight with 50/50 blend of algae and regular fuel in January. As I understand the major hurdle so far was the cost. Still algae seems like a nice alternative to some other biofuels, mainly soybean and palmtree, that lead to deforestation, and corn which is too expensive, not all that clean, and needs a lot of energy and fertilizers to produce. One problem I envision with algae - building a facility in coastal waters. Who would want it?
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out the Issues Relating to Biofuels on wikipedia. Lots of good stuff there. There is the "food versus fuel" argument that farmlands should not be diverted for non-food production. Also increased pressure on water resources. There's always problems with everything. Nothing can just be simple.
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