A Bright Future With Biofuels
The third generation of bioenergy are all sources of energy from algae. Algae is amazing because it has has a very high production rate and a doesn't use very much land. It also can be used for many different things. There are many things about algae which make it incredible.
Third Generation
Effects on Environment
Algae is such a great source for energy because it will not have a big impact on the environment. The U.S. Energy Department predicts only 0.42% of the whole entire United States would have to be used to produce enough biofuel for the whole country. Compared to how much land we currently use for biofuels, the estimated amount is incredibly smaller. Another benefit is that algae doesn't need a supply of fresh water to grow. That means we can use ocean water or waste water and not use up fresh water. After algae is collected, the remnants can be used to make fertilizer.
Conversion into biofuels
Algae are mainly converted into biofuels through either the ultrasound method, by using chemicals, or another method called expression.
Ultrasound Method: The ultrasound method used ultrasound waves to create a bubble inside the algae's cell. When the bubble bursts, it destroys the cell and most of the oil comes out and can be used.
Chemicals: Some chemicals are dangerous to use, but they are the most effective. Some of the chemicals include hexane and benzene
Expression: Expression is just applying lots and lots of pressure to squeaze the oil out of algae. What is used to crush the algae depends on the strain, different strains have different properties.
Pressure Cooked Algae
A brand new method allows for algae to be turned into crude oil in a very short amount of time. Scientists are now able to take a process that naturally occurs over millions and millions of years, and repeat it in under an hour. The algae must be "cooked" at over 350 degrees and the pressure cooker must be atleast 3000 pounds per square inch. The products of cooking algae is water, crude oil, and nutrient rich material that could help grow more algae.