Difference between revisions of "Growing algae"

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'''Growing algae''' may be a viable way of getting energy. The yield/acre is extremely high compared to any other crop. Some algae contain large quantities of oil.
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'''Growing algae''' may be a [http://wiki.seasteading.org/index.php/IMTA viable way of making fuel]. The yield/acre is extremely high compared to any other crop. Some algae contain large quantities of oil. Certain types are also nutritious.
  
 
==Current status==
 
==Current status==
Harvesting algae is very expensive. Especially getting the algae out of the water, and the oil out of the algae requires an expensive centrifuge or substances like hexane. The reason algae are commercially grown is because of the other substances that come out of it; strains like Chlorella and Spirulina are being sold as food supplements and used in cosmetics and pharmacy.  
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Harvesting algae is very expensive. Especially getting the algae out of the water, and the oil out of the algae requires an expensive centrifuge or substances like hexane. [https://wiki.seasteading.org/index.php?title=Talk:Growing_algae] The reason algae are commercially grown is because of the other substances that come out of it; strains like Chlorella and [[Spirulina]] are being sold as food supplements and used in cosmetics and pharmacy.  
  
There are two ways to grow them, open and closed systems. Open systems are cheaper and a lot simpler (almost all commercial growers use raceway ponds) but growing them at sea is difficult. You have almost no control on temperature, acidity etcetera, but worse is that contamination with other algae is more likely in windy situations with a lot of competing algae (and bacteria) in the air. This might be overcome by using a fresh water strain, but then the water gets expensive (and may be polluted with salt in no time). Closed systems are more expensive, and the major disadvantage: you'd have to import nutrients, (clean) C02, and methanol.
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There are two ways to grow them, open and closed systems. Open systems are cheaper and a lot simpler (almost all commercial growers use raceway ponds) but growing them at sea is difficult. You have almost no control on temperature, acidity et cetera, but worse is that contamination with other algae is more likely in windy situations with a lot of competing algae (and bacteria) in the air. This might be overcome by using a fresh water strain, but then the water gets expensive (and may be polluted with salt in no time). Closed systems are more expensive, and the major disadvantage: you'd have to import nutrients, (clean) C02, and methanol.
  
Link for more information on growing algaes for various purposes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture
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See Also:
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* [[IMTA]]
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* [[Farming]]
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==Links==
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* Link for more information on growing algaes for various purposes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture
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* [http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html] Article from University of New Hampshire.
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* [http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v99/smallestminority/?action=view&current=Vertigro.flv Vertigro] Closed system company.
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* [http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/06/kelp-livestock.html The Scoop on Feeding Kelp to Livestock By Jill Winger]
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* [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-013-0162-9 Seaweeds for animal production use]
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* [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/animalscinbcr/231/ Feeding Kelp Meal in Feedlot Diets]
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* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24438753 The use of seaweed from the Galician coast as a mineral supplement in organic dairy cattle]
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* [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/pplkelp.html How do people use kelp?]
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* [http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2014/10/turning-humble-seaweed-to-biofuel.html Turning Humble Seaweed to Biofuel]
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* [http://www.nationalalgaeassociation.com/ National Algae Association]
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* [https://www.eaba-association.org/en European Algae Biomass Association (EABA)]
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* [http://intphycsoc.org/ International Phycological Society]
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==Literature==
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* Algae Microfarms, Robert Henrikson, Ronore Enterprises, 2013
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* Algae, James Graham, Lee Wilcox and Linda Graham, Pearson Education, 2009
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* Spirulina Production & Potential, Ripley D. Fox, Editions Edisud, 1996
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* Spirulina in Human Nutrition and Health, M.E. Gershwin and Amha Belay, CRC Press, 2007
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* Freedom Foods: Superior New Foods, Low on the Food Chain for People, Producers and Our Planet, Mark Edwards, 2011
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* Microalgae: Biotechnology and Microbiology, E.W. Becker, Cambridge University Press, 2008
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{{Energy}}
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{{Farming}}

Latest revision as of 09:11, 6 November 2019

Growing algae may be a viable way of making fuel. The yield/acre is extremely high compared to any other crop. Some algae contain large quantities of oil. Certain types are also nutritious.

Current status

Harvesting algae is very expensive. Especially getting the algae out of the water, and the oil out of the algae requires an expensive centrifuge or substances like hexane. [1] The reason algae are commercially grown is because of the other substances that come out of it; strains like Chlorella and Spirulina are being sold as food supplements and used in cosmetics and pharmacy.

There are two ways to grow them, open and closed systems. Open systems are cheaper and a lot simpler (almost all commercial growers use raceway ponds) but growing them at sea is difficult. You have almost no control on temperature, acidity et cetera, but worse is that contamination with other algae is more likely in windy situations with a lot of competing algae (and bacteria) in the air. This might be overcome by using a fresh water strain, but then the water gets expensive (and may be polluted with salt in no time). Closed systems are more expensive, and the major disadvantage: you'd have to import nutrients, (clean) C02, and methanol.


See Also:

Links

Literature

  • Algae Microfarms, Robert Henrikson, Ronore Enterprises, 2013
  • Algae, James Graham, Lee Wilcox and Linda Graham, Pearson Education, 2009
  • Spirulina Production & Potential, Ripley D. Fox, Editions Edisud, 1996
  • Spirulina in Human Nutrition and Health, M.E. Gershwin and Amha Belay, CRC Press, 2007
  • Freedom Foods: Superior New Foods, Low on the Food Chain for People, Producers and Our Planet, Mark Edwards, 2011
  • Microalgae: Biotechnology and Microbiology, E.W. Becker, Cambridge University Press, 2008


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