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

Biodiesel from algae

Feasibility of algae
Oil collection and refining
Application to our county
Algae Overview

Tim McLenegan
Eric Amendt
Algae and Biodiesel

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 Suns Energy
(Photosynthesis)
What is needed
Sunlight
CO2
Nutrients
Storage of Energy
Lipids and oils
Carbohydrates

http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf
What affects oil production?

Climate
Cold weather reduces algae oil production
Overcast days reduce sunlight and lower oil
production
Nutrients
Depletion of Nitrogen and Silicate
Controlling Nutrients
Nitrogen
Aids in cell division
Silicate
Aids in cell wall production
Depleting Nutrients
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
Important
characteristics of Algae
High % of total biomass
is oil
Maintains a high % of oil
even under stress
Compatible with the San
Luis Obispo climate

www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -
What Type of Algae
Botryococcus braunii
Converts 61% of its
biomass into oil
Drops to only 31% oil
under stress
Grows best between 22-
25oC (71-77oF)

www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -
Where To Grow It
Extensions onto our water treatment plants
Clean up our waste and generate fuel
Agriculture runoff
Exploit the countys many farms and vineyards
Soda Lake
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
Is it too good to be true?
DOE concluded a 16-year study of algal biomass in 1996 (and
wrote a 328-page report)
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf
Conducted large-scale tests in California, New Mexico and
Hawaii
With good temperatures, could harvest 50 grams of algae per sq.
meter per day
Used a 1,000 m 2 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!!!

Thecurrent price of diesel is growing

What does this mean for Biodiesel?
Michael Briggs of University of New
Hampshire

Production ability
37,500 gallons per hectare of desert land per year
Pond construction
$80,000 per hectare
Operating Costs
$12,000 per hectare
NREL results
Benemann and Oswald (1996)

Capital Investment
$69,000 to $104,400 per hectare
Operating Costs
$21,370 to $32,320 per hectare per year
Algal Oil Costs
$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

$0.30to $1.00 per gallon

Without taxes or profit
Michael Briggs
$0.32 per gallon of biodiesel
Real World
$1.23 - $2.65 per gallon of biodiesel
San Luis Costs

The startup costs per processing plant would

be the same as noted in the fall presentation
on Biodiesel.
$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
Oil Collection and Refining

Mike Sass
Pressing oil from the algae

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

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.as
Super Critical Oil Extraction

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/supercritic
TAG (triacylglycerol)

Three chains of fatty acids attached to a glycerol

Natural oil from the algae

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/241
Transesterification

Start with triacylglycerol

(TAG)
End up with ester
alcohol (biodiesel)

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/241
Three ways to produce biodiesel

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/fuelfactshee
Base Catalyzed with Alcohol

Most common process

Most economical
Low pressure (20psi)
Low temperature (150oF)
No intermediate steps
High conversion rate (98%)

http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactshee
General Process

http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactshee
Application To Our County

Ryan Gleim
Current County Bus System

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 (bussesRTA
)
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 33.82( gallons per day per bus )
Time 183
Biodiesel Requirements

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
GM Hybrid Bus
Hybrid Bus Statistics

GM Hybrid Bus
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_h
Calculations Adjusted

Using Biodiesel in HYBRID diesel busses

Hybrid fuel usage improvement 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

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