[Windmills]

Technology is always good. It should always be implemented. Negative side effects need never be considered because the next technology will always cure them...eventually. These are the laws of technocopia.

[Homesteader]

example) at a rate equivalent to 10,000 U.S. gallons an acre a year. It anticipates that this yield could hit 25,000 gallons an acre a year when scaled for commercial production, equivalent to roughly 800 barrels of crude an acre a year.

so they have proven they can do 300 baarrels or so a year, and claim they can get it to 800, not bad at all.

Rate equivalent is an extrapolation from some other production number. It doesn't mean they've actually achieved 10,000gal/acre/year. It could mean they've produced a few drops at a certain time rate that, when scaled up on the back of an envelope, gives 10,000 gal/acre/year. I'd just like to see some more clear numbers.[/quote]

Never mind the energy inputs required to produce algaeoil on anywhere near a commercial scale (the energy and nutrients to actually grow and maintain a sufficiently large algae population, disease control, heating, cooling, maintenance etc. . . ) Oh, and don't forget that when the sun isn't shining, like every night, the little algae don't close up shop and go home. They will switch over to cellular respiration until the sun is sufficiently intense the next morning for photosynthesis to produce enough energy to support cell functioning. Cellular respiration will run on the glucose those little hard working algae oil wells made when the sun was shining.

Some info on photosyntheses:

"Any analysis of biomass energy production must consider the potential efficiency of the processes involved. Although photosynthesis is fundamental to the conversion of solar radiation into stored biomass energy, its theoretically achievable efficiency is limited both by the limited wavelength range applicable to photosynthesis, and the quantum requirements of the photosynthetic process. Only light within the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) can be utilized by plants, effectively allowing only 45 % of total solar energy to be utilized for photosynthesis. Furthermore, fixation of one CO2 molecule during photosynthesis, necessitates a quantum requirement of ten (or more), which results in a maximum utilization of only 25% of the PAR absorbed by the photosynthetic system. On the basis of these limitations, the theoretical maximum efficiency of solar energy conversion is approximately 11%. In practice, however, the magnitude of photosynthetic efficiency observed in the field, is further decreased by factors such as poor absorption of sunlight due to its reflection, respiration requirements of photosynthesis and the need for optimal solar radiation levels. The net result being an overall photosynthetic efficiency of between 3 and 6% of total solar radiation."

and. . .

"1.2.3 Fuel production via microalgal CO2 fixation

One of the most serious environmental problems today is that of global warming, caused primarily by the heavy use of fossil fuels. In Japan, large amounts of CO2 are released into the atmosphere from electric power plants and industry. The CO2 generated by these large point sources could potentially be recovered with relative ease through the use of an established technology such as chemical absorption. The enormity of the amounts of potentially recoverable CO2 would however necessitate the development of technologies for sequestering or, more favorably, utilizing this CO2.

Photosynthetic microalgae are potential candidates for utilizing excessive amounts of CO2, since when cultivated these organisms are capable of fixing CO2 to produce energy and chemical compounds upon exposure to sunlight. The derivation of energy from algal biomass is an attractive concept in that unlike fossil fuels, algal biomass is rather uniformly distributed over much of the earth's surface, and its utilization would make no net contribution to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. Although algal biomass is regarded as a low-grade energy source owing to its high moisture content, through biological processes, it may be converted to modem gaseous and liquid fuels such as hydrogen, methane, ethanol, and oils.

Hydrogen is regarded as a potential energy source of the future, since it is easily converted to electricity and bums cleanly. Hydrogen is currently produced by fossil fuel-based processes which emit large amounts of CO2, and relatively smaller amounts of other air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Biological H2 production has thus recently received renewed attention owing to urban air pollution and global warming concerns (2). Biological hydrogen production methodologies incorporating artificial reconstitution systems with chloroplast, ferredoxin, and hydrogenase; a heterocystous cyanobacterial system with oxygen scavengers; and an algal system in a day-and-night cycle, have been studied in

Japan. From an engineering point of view, however, bacterial fermentation mechanisms for hydrogen production under either dark or light conditions is currently of importance in terms of environmental issues and the utilization of organic wastes such as waste effluent of the food and fermentation industries, pre-treated sewage sludge, and market garbage.

The use of microalgae as sources of liquid fuels is an attractive proposition from the point of view that microalgae are photosynthetic renewable resources, are of a high lipid content, have faster growth rates than plant cells, and are capable of growth in saline waters which are unsuitable for agriculture. While the lipid content of microalgae, on a dry cellular weight basis varies between 20 and 40 %, lipid contents as high as 85 % have been reported for certain microalgal strains. Botryococcus braunii, is a unique microalgal strain, having a long-chain hydrocarbon content of between 30 and 40% (dry weight basis), which is directly extractable to yield crude oil substitutes. Both physical and chemical processes are applicable in the production of liquid fuels from algal strains of high lipid content. These processes include direct lipid extraction in the production of diesel-oil substitutes, transesterification in the formation of ester fuels, and hydrogenation in the production of hydrocarbons (3). Oily substances are also produced via liquefaction of microalgal biomass through thermochemical reactions under conditions of high pressure and temperature."

Link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7241e/w7241e ... 20fixation

A brave new world of fossil fuels on demand?

Go talk to the Steorn boys and those Italian guys pushing their cold fusion mumbo jumbo.

[TheAntiDoomer]

Homesteader, did you even read the articles?????//

No algea involved here, techincally this isn't even a biofuel. It is using CO2 and Sunlight to create synthetic fuels.

[DoomersUnite]

Homesteader, did you even read the articles?????//

No algea involved here, techincally this isn't even a biofuel. It is using CO2 and Sunlight to create synthetic fuels.

So much for peak oil.

[Ludi]

Technology is always good. It should always be implemented. Negative side effects need never be considered because the next technology will always cure them...eventually. These are the laws of technocopia.

Excellent quote.

[Daniel_Plainview]

Homesteader, did you even read the articles?????//

No algea involved here, techincally this isn't even a biofuel. It is using CO2 and Sunlight to create synthetic fuels.

So much for peak oil.

ad hom deleted

[Homesteader]

Homesteader, did you even read the articles?????//

No algea involved here, techincally this isn't even a biofuel. It is using CO2 and Sunlight to create synthetic fuels.

Yes.

"U.S. biotech company named Joule Unlimited received a patent for “a proprietary organism” – a genetically engineered cyanobacterium. . ."

Cyanobacterium:

"Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, grow in any type of water and are photosynthetic (use sunlight to create food and support life)."

Link: http://www.cdc.gov/hab/cyanobacteria/facts.htm#cyano

And yes, I know that cyanobacteria is not a true algae, and that by endocytosis were engulfed by eukaryotic organisms to become present day chloroplasts.

And. . .

"Meanwhile the current generation of biofuel producing crops generally convert less than 1% of the solar energy they receive to biomass, which means they would displace too much agricultural land used for food production to be viable on a large scale. There is the potential to develop dedicated systems, whether based on cyanobacteria, plants, or artificial components, capable of much higher efficiencies, reaching 10% efficiency of solar energy conversion."

Link: http://www.nextenergynews.com/news08/ne ... 7.08a.html

So again, let me know when it is commercially available.

[DoomersUnite]

Homesteader, did you even read the articles?????//

No algea involved here, techincally this isn't even a biofuel. It is using CO2 and Sunlight to create synthetic fuels.

So much for peak oil.

You moron.

Not at all. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but for us occasional lurkers it appears quite jarring. Back in 2006 we were in the throes of peak fest, the world was ending, there wasn't enough oil, nothing mattered.

I stop back in every few months, and this time around after going through some threads what do I discover? Hundreds of billions of new barrels in Venezuela, we are discovering more than we consume again, biofuels coming out of everyone's ears in various forms, EV's no longer a niche customization but being sold by major manufacturers to the public at large, a nuke revival, permanently decreasing US gasoline demand (so claimed) since 2006, no natural gas cliff any more but more peaks and low prices because the stuff is so plentiful.

Overall, with that as a reference, my comment was completely reasonable. Might be difficult to see if you participate every day, but I stop back in couple of months apart and ....it looks like PRESTO....so much for peak oil.

[kildred590]

It's not fossil fuel cos its not made from fossils.

And the orgranic compounds created have to futher processed before you can get anything to burn or compress, it's not that easy.

And the bacteria have to be grown in running water channels, not just an empty paddock.

[Keith_McClary]

Hundreds of billions of new barrels in Venezuela

Not new, they were not economically recoverable at $15, they become "reserves" at $90.

biofuels coming out of everyone's ears in various forms, EV's no longer a niche customization but being sold by major manufacturers to the public at large, a nuke revival,

all heavily subsidized and mandated.

permanently decreasing US gasoline demand (so claimed) since 2006,

Not surprising at today's price.

[TheAntiDoomer]

The end (of oil) is near
http://www.gulfnews.ca/Opinion/Editoria ... -is-near/1

A company out of Massachusetts, Joule Unlimited, recently patented an e coli bacterium that uses carbon dioxide and sunlight along with non-fresh water to produce hydrocarbons.The company's method of production would take carbon dioxide out of the air, much as plants do, and turn dirty water into usable oil.

Joule is cool, but not alone in quest for sunlight-to-fuel “game-changer”
http://theenergycollective.com/tyhamilt ... me-changer

Joule Unlimited has been on my radar for a little over a year now, but it has become the topic of much conversation — at least in Canada — after Globe and Mail columnist Neil Reynolds wrote about the innovative U.S. biotech company, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So what’s all the hype about? Reynolds pointed out that Joule, which is privately held, received a patent for a “proprietary organism” that produces liquid hydrocarbons such as diesel fuel, jet fuel and gasoline. “This breakthrough technology, the company says, will deliver renewable supplies of liquid fossil fuel almost anywhere on Earth, in essentially unlimited quantity and at an energy-cost equivalent of $30 (U.S.) a barrel of crude oil,” wrote Reynolds, citing the company’s claim of being able to produce “fossil fuels on demand.” These organisms mimic photosynthesis, requiring only carbon dioxide, sunshine and water to produce crude. It has already produced ethanol at 10,000 U.S. gallons per acre and is aiming for 25,000 gallons per acre. It believes it can produce diesel fuel at 15,000 gallons per acres — eventually, at least. It received a patent for this process last September.

[Carlhole]

The article favors Alganon over Joule.

In fact, Joule is using genetically altered cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, which is not unlike the organisms used by many algae-to-biofuel ventures out there. The difference is that Joule doesn’t have to harvest and process the cyanobacteria. Instead, the organism refines and excretes the end fuel product for relatively easy collection, skpping many costly processes that have made many algae-to-biofuel approaches uneconomical. But even there, there are a number of companies taking a similar approach, including Algenol, Synthetic Genomics (Craig Venter’s venture) and BioCee. And let’s keep in mind that CO2, itself, is a feedstock. It’s not like Joule’s cyanobacteria can pull ambient CO2 out of the air. It has to be pumped into its system, meaning some kind of upstream delivery infrastructure is required. Also, Joule likes to distinguish its SolarConverter system from a photobioreactor, but in general terms it’s still a photobioreactor.

Still, what Joule and its rivals are trying to do is fascinating, and the fact that there are several companies taking this approach is encouraging. Algenol, in my opinion, is ahead of Joule in many regards. The company’s genetically enhanced cyanobacteria is focused on ethanol production for now, but it also has its eyes on biobutanol, which has much higher energy density than ethanol. Algenol’s claims of per-acre ethanol production are more modest — and realistic — than those coming from Joule. Algenol says it can achieve 6,000 gallons per acre today and is aiming for 10,000 gallons per acre, while Joule is aiming for 25,000 gallons per acre (both still dramatically higher than what corn or cellulosic ethanol offer). I’m naturally skeptical Joule can achieve this, and the company admits that it has a long way to go from the lab to large-scale production.

But then, John Podesta has recently joined the Board of Directors. The Podesta Group is a first-tier progressive, government lobbying group. This seems to add to Joule's credibility enormously. Oh if it were only trading on an exchange...

[TheAntiDoomer]

Joule Unlimited claims 5-50 times more fuel per acre than other biofuel processes
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/02/joule- ... more.html#

Highlights include:

* Based on empirical measurements, Joule can directly produce 15,000 gallons of diesel per acre annually, as compared to 3,000 gallons of biodiesel produced indirectly from algae.

* The solar-to-product conversion efficiency of Joule’s direct, continuous process for producing diesel, ethanol and chemicals is between 5 and 50X greater than any biomass-dependent process, and gains additional efficiencies by avoiding downstream refining.

* Joule’s combined advances in genome engineering, solar capture and bioprocessing result in photosynthetic conversion efficiency of more than 7% relative to available yearly solar energy striking the ground, many times greater than prior industry assumptions.

A new dawn for industrial photosynthesis
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j14 ... ltext.html

Several emerging technologies are aiming to meet renewable fuel standards, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and provide viable alternatives to fossil fuels. Direct conversion of solar energy into fungible liquid fuel is a particularly attractive option, though conversion of that energy on an industrial scale depends on the efficiency of its capture and conversion. Large-scale programs have been undertaken in the recent past that used solar energy to grow innately oil-producing algae for biomass processing to biodiesel fuel. These efforts were ultimately deemed to be uneconomical because the costs of culturing, harvesting, and processing of algal biomass were not balanced by the process efficiencies for solar photon capture and conversion. This analysis addresses solar capture and conversion efficiencies and introduces a unique systems approach, enabled by advances in strain engineering, photobioreactor design, and a process that contradicts prejudicial opinions about the viability of industrial photosynthesis. We calculate efficiencies for this direct, continuous solar process based on common boundary conditions, empirical measurements and validated assumptions wherein genetically engineered cyanobacteria convert industrially sourced, high-concentration CO2 into secreted, fungible hydrocarbon products in a continuous process. These innovations are projected to operate at areal productivities far exceeding those based on accumulation and refining of plant or algal biomass or on prior assumptions of photosynthetic productivity. This concept, currently enabled for production of ethanol and alkane diesel fuel molecules, and operating at pilot scale, establishes a new paradigm for high productivity manufacturing of nonfossil-derived fuels and chemicals.

[Cloud9]

The question is does it really work and can the process be scaled up in time to prevent social collapse?

[kildred590]

Plenty of deserts out there.

More than enough to provide our current energy needs if we had a way to convert 50% of incoming light into liquid fuel.

What a pity they usually lack water !

Oh, and don't forget that when the sun isn't shining, like every night, the little algae don't close up shop and go home. They will switch over to cellular respiration until the sun is sufficiently intense the next morning for photosynthesis to produce enough energy to support cell functioning. Cellular respiration will run on the glucose those little hard working algae oil wells made when the sun was shining.

Obviously they "sleep" at night to save energy. Otherwise they would starve wouldn't they ?
And we're not using their food, we're using their excretions, remember.

The net result being an overall photosynthetic efficiency of between 3 and 6% of total solar radiation.

Presumably though, they are using a network (like a soup) of cells to increase the density of production ?

. It is using CO2 and Sunlight to create synthetic fuels.

The algae still need minerals to make their bodies, not just water CO2 and sunlight.