Biodiesel From Microalgae
A Solution for a Sustainable San Luis Obospo
County
Mike Sass
Eric Amendt
Ryan Gleim
Tim McLenegan
Tim Whitacre
April 29, 2005
Outline
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Biodiesel from algae
Feasibility of algae
Oil collection and refining
Application to our county
Algae Overview
Tim McLenegan
Eric Amendt
Algae and Biodiesel
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Algae Biodiesel is a good replacement for
standard crop Biodiesels like soy and canola
Up to 70% of algae biomass is usable oils
Algae does not compete for land and space
with other agricultural crops
Algae can survive in water of high salt
content and use water that was previously
deemed unusable
Storing the Sun’s Energy
(Photosynthesis)
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What is needed
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Storage of Energy
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–
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf
Sunlight
CO2
Nutrients
Lipids and oils
Carbohydrates
What affects oil production?
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Climate
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Cold weather reduces algae oil production
Overcast days reduce sunlight and lower oil
production
Nutrients
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Depletion of Nitrogen and Silicate
Controlling Nutrients
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Nitrogen
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Silicate
–
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Aids in cell division
Aids in cell wall production
Depleting Nutrients
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Starving the algae of these two nutrients reduce the rate of
cell division
Oil production remains constant
Results in an increase in the oil to mass ratio
The Algae Pond
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf
Mass Production of Algae
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf
Choosing an Algae
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Important
characteristics of Algae
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www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -
High % of total biomass
is oil
Maintains a high % of oil
even under stress
Compatible with the San
Luis Obispo climate
What Type of Algae
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Botryococcus braunii
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Converts 61% of its
biomass into oil
Drops to only 31% oil
under stress
Grows best between 2225oC (71-77oF)
www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -
Where To Grow It
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Extensions onto our water treatment plants
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Agriculture runoff
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Clean up our waste and generate fuel
Exploit the county’s many farms and vineyards
Soda Lake
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Salt lake east of Santa Margarita
Vast open space of Carrizo Plain
Only has water in winter/spring months
National Monument status may prevent development
Feasibility
Tim Whitacre
Feasibility
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Is it too good to be true?
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DOE concluded a 16-year study of algal biomass in 1996
(and wrote a 328-page report)
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Conducted large-scale tests in California, New Mexico and
Hawaii
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http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf
With good temperatures, could harvest 50 grams of algae per
sq. meter per day
Used a 1,000 m2 pond for 1 year
Research stopped due to budget cuts
UNH paper may hopefully rekindle research
With more research/funding, it can be done
Comments from NREL
“Projections for future costs of petroleum are a
moving target. DOE expects petroleum costs to
remain relatively flat over the next 20 years.
Expecting algal biodiesel to compete with such
cheap petroleum prices is unrealistic. Without some
mechanism for monetizing its environmental benefits
(such as carbon taxes), algal biodiesel is not going
to get off the ground.”
Comments from NREL
“Engineering design and cost studies have been done
throughout the course of the ASP, with ever increasing realism
in the design assumptions and cost estimates. The last set of
cost estimates for the program was developed in 1995. These
estimates showed that algal biodiesel cost would range from
$1.40 to $4.40 per gallon based on current and long-term
projections for the performance of the technology. Even with
assumptions of $50 per ton of CO2 as a carbon credit, the cost
of biodiesel never competes with the projected cost of
petroleum diesel.”
$ Per Barrel
http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CO/M
Show Me The Money!!!
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The current price of diesel is growing
What does this mean for Biodiesel?
Michael Briggs of University of New
Hampshire
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Production ability
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Pond construction
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37,500 gallons per hectare of desert land per year
$80,000 per hectare
Operating Costs
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$12,000 per hectare
NREL results
Benemann and Oswald (1996)
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Capital Investment
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Operating Costs
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$21,370 to $32,320 per hectare per year
Algal Oil Costs
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$69,000 to $104,400 per hectare
$39 to $69 per barrel
$0.93 to $1.65 per gallon
16,000 to 32,000 gallons per hectare per year
Cost per hectare
Processing Costs
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$0.30 to $1.00 per gallon
Without taxes or profit
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Michael Briggs
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$0.32 per gallon of biodiesel
Real World
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$1.23 - $2.65 per gallon of biodiesel
San Luis Costs
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The startup costs per processing plant would
be the same as noted in the fall presentation
on Biodiesel.
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$15,000,000 per 30,000,000 gallon plants.
Our research shows that the cost per algal
pond would be greater.
Assuming $0.10 profit per gallon
Total Costs
Return On Investm ent
$800,000,000
$700,000,000
Gallons and Money
$600,000,000
$500,000,000
Total Cap Cost
$400,000,000
Gallons a year
Total Profit
$300,000,000
Red/Black
$200,000,000
$100,000,000
$0
05 007 009 011 013 015 017 019 021 023 025 027 029 031 033 035 037 039 041 043 045 047 049
20
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
-$100,000,000
Year
Oil Collection and Refining
Mike Sass
Pressing oil from the algae
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Dry the algae and press the oil from it.
Can retrieve up to 70% of the oil.
While drying must prevent the algae from
becoming contaminated.
Cheapest and simplest method
Chemical Oil Extraction
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Use hexane solvents to remove the oil.
Hexane is a neurotoxin.
Must be careful when using.
Removes oil out of almost all things.
http://forums.biodieselnow.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3414
Super Critical Oil Extraction
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Most efficient method.
Uses carbon dioxide at critical pressure and
temperature (CO2 is almost a liquid).
Carbon dioxide.
Rapid diffusion of the oil.
Very expensive process.
http://www.organix.net/organix/supercritical.htm
TAG (triacylglycerol)
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Three chains of fatty acids attached to a glycerol
Natural oil from the algae
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf
Transesterification
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Start with triacylglycerol
(TAG)
End up with ester
alcohol (biodiesel)
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf
Three ways to produce biodiesel
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Base catalyzed transesterification with
alcohol.
Acid catalyzed esterification with methanol.
Convert the oil to fatty acids. Then acid
catalyze to alkyl esters.
http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Production.PDF
Base Catalyzed with Alcohol
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Most common process
Most economical
Low pressure (20psi)
Low temperature (150oF)
No intermediate steps
High conversion rate (98%)
http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Production.PDF
General Process
http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Production.PDF
Application To Our County
Ryan Gleim
Current County Bus System
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CCAT and SCAT
TotalGas  TG  Gas For All Busses for 6 months
# of Busses  NB
Gallons per Bus  GPB
Gallons per Day per Bus  GPD
Gallons per Acre per year  GPA
# of Acres required  A
SCAT  38,178.08 gallons for 5 Busses
CCAT  104,170.11 gallons for 18 Busses
TG  SCAT ( gallons )  CCAT ( gallons )
NB  SCAT (busses )  CCAT (busses )
RTA
Fuel Requirements
TG  104170.11  38178.08  142348.19( gallons )
NB  5  18  23
TG 142348.19
GPB 

 6189.05( gallons per Bus for 6 months)
NB
23
Time  183 days per 6 months
GPB 6189.05
GPD 
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 33.82( gallons per day per bus)
Time
183
Biodiesel Requirements
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Using Biodiesel in current diesel busses
2(TG ) 2(142348.19)
A

 43.8(acres )
GPA
6500
2(TG ) 2(142348.19)
A

 21.9(acres )
GPA
13000
Diesel Hybrid
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GM Hybrid Bus
Hybrid Bus Statistics
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GM Hybrid Bus
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EP system
Clean Hybrid technology
Hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide reduction of
about 90%
Nitrous oxide reduction of about 50%
Already in service in many cities
Up to 60% improved fuel economy
http:www.gm.com/company/adv_tech/300_hybrids/index_bus.html
Calculations Adjusted
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Using Biodiesel in HYBRID diesel busses
Hybrid fuel usageimprovement  60%  0.60
2(TG ) 2(142348.19)
A

(1  0.60)  17.5(acres)
GPA
6500
2(TG ) 2(142348.19)
A

(1  0.60)  8.8(acres)
GPA
13000
Conclusion
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Algae is a very efficient means of producing
biodiesel
The oil production from algae farms is
feasible and scalable
Further research necessary to unlock full
potential of algae
Questions