[Bioconversion] The Pond Scum Fireball

[Jeff Davis]

Dear List,

Algae, pond scum, has been recognized for it abilities to produce oil for
the manufacture of biodiesel. Also, lately, it’s been found that algae can
be shocked in to producing hydrogen, instead of oxygen. Moreover algae
show a great ability to have rapid growth rates.

At work, by the parking lot, we have a small pond used to collect rain run
off. This spring I was privy to observe just how fast algae can bloom.
Within a few days the pond was taken over by this growth of algae! Before
the farmers could even think about planting their crops, these algae could
have been harvested. It would be 6 weeks before I could start to plant my
first experimental switchgrass field

When used for biodiesel the algae must be pressed in order to extract up
to 75% of the oil. If more is desired, a solvent is used to extract up to
99 % of the oil. The production of hydrogen via algae is still
experimental and the hydrogen would still need to be compressed if used in
mobile devices like the auto.

Algae, having binder qualities hence no binder would have to be added in
order to produce “The Pond Scum Fireball”. However as of date I have not
been able to test this. Can’t wait to get my hands on some algae and try
it out. After the Fireballs were manufactured, they could be gasified in a
gasifier. This way we also would be able to benefit from algae, not just
the biodiesel and hydrogen people but also the gasifier people.
Furthermore our producer gas is a hydrogen rich gas.

Problems with sustainability would have to be looked into, like nitrogen
and phosphorous etc.

With stationary combustion of the Fireball, either in a gasifier or direct
combustion, it would behoove us if we could scrub the CO2 from our exhaust
and deposit it into our algae pond. Algae will need a lot of CO2, for
rapid growth. It also absorbs nitrogen oxides. It would also be to our
benefit if we could cover the pond with a plastic membrane and harvest the
oxygen that the algae produces, somewhat like how the hydrogen is
harvested, and use that oxygen to feed our gasifier. This would produce a
richer fuel. BUT I do not know if this is possible, this is just pie in
the sky thinking, as of now. Furthermore it would be a plus if we could
remove the nutrients from the algae and return that to our algae pond for
further growth. I love circles!

Possibly this would be a good way to store wind power. A windmill could
power full spectrum lights that are placed in the algae pond. This would
help promote growth. Also, some algae ponds are covered with a green house
to help keep them warm. If one needed to make char, say for a Fireball
additive, the heat and CO2 from the burned off gasses could be placed in
the algae pond.

Just some algae food for thought!



-- 
Jeff Davis

Some where 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA