Hydrogen from algae - fuel of the future?

[jpak]

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1029553&CatID=5

<snip>

Researchers from the University of Bielefeld in Germany and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, have genetically changed the single-cell green alga 'Chlamydomonas reinhardtii' in such a way that it produces an especially large amount of hydrogen.

<snip>

It has been known for a long time that certain algae can produce hydrogen during the photosynthetic process, explains Bielefeld biologist Olaf Kruse. But the catch was efficiency, as one litre of alga produces only about 100 ml of hydrogen. "Then it's over, because the cells die off."

But the genetically altered variant boosts this up to half a litre of hydrogen. By Kruse's estimates, it can, in the long run, produce five times the volume made by the wild form of alga.

Economic feasibility with regard to algae sets in only when the energy efficiency - the conversion of sunlight into hydrogen - reaches 7-10 percent. But alga in its natural form achieves at most a meagre 0.1 percent. The new 'turbo-alga' has now come up to 1.6-2.0 percent.

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[Botany]

1. Hmmmmmm

but we got a good Christ centered education in America.

[democrat_patriot]

2. And when it gets loose in the wild

We'll turn into Venus.

[phantom power]

5. Venus has an atmosphere of CO2.

If anybody is turning earth into Venus, that would be us, not hopped up H2-producing algae.

[democrat_patriot]

8. My bad. Thanks for the correction.

I failed astronomy and chemistry.

[phantom power]

10. We could take a stab at becoming like Neptune...

But warmer. The algae would have to work very very hard.
:evilgrin:

[jpak]

7. Hmmmm

Chlamydomonas is a lab rat "weed species", but it is also photosynthetic and produces O2 (which in the long run would react with H2 to produce water in the atmosphere).

The production of excess H2 presumably requires (photosynthetic) energy, so the ratio of H2:O2 produced might be <1.

Also, how Chlamydomonas would compete with other "wild" phytoplankton if it escaped is not known (or if it would be preferentially grazed or lysed by viruses).

Still - good point to ponder!

:)

[lapfog_1]

3. Our tax dollars already paid for a more practical use of algae

and it didn't use bioengineering.

NREL did a program (to sequester CO2 gas from power plants) and studied hundreds of strains of algae. A number were found to be quite efficient in producing vegetable oil, the kind of oil that can be used to make bio diesel fuel. And the yields were nothing short of astounding. 10,000 gallons of vegetable oil per acre per year... possibly more if one bubbles CO2 through a closed bio reactor system.

Compare that to the bodies output of the other popular options (corn, flax, sunflowers, etc, etc... even oil palms).

Not to mention that the energy input to such a system (shallow pond raceway system) is much much smaller than growing corn.

[poopfuel]

9. usa today story earlier this year on topic

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-01-10-algae-powerplants_x.htm

[XemaSab]

11. Sewage ponds are already perfect for this

Build some berms down the middle of the ponds, have some sort of aeration system in place, and you're good to go.

[EVDebs]

4. Schatz Energy research at Humboldt State, Arcata CA

uses this algae/hydrogen system already (but not with genetically altered anything).

"" Renewable energy sources can produce electricity for electrolysis. For example, Humboldt State University's Schatz Energy Research Center designed and built a stand-alone solar hydrogen system. The system uses a 9.2 kilowatt (KW) photovoltaic (PV) array to provide power to compressors that aerate fish tanks. The power not used to run the compressors runs a 7.2 kilowatt bipolar alkaline electrolyzer. The electrolyzer can produce 53 standard cubic feet of hydrogen per hour (25 liters per minute). The unit has been operating without supervision since 1993. When there is not enough power from the PV array, the hydrogen provides fuel for a 1.5 kilowatt proton exchange membrane fuel cell to provide power for the compressors....

Biological and photobiological processes can use algae and bacteria to produce hydrogen. Under specific conditions, the pigments in certain types of algae absorb solar energy. The enzyme in the cell acts as a catalyst to split the water molecules. Some bacteria are also capable of producing hydrogen, but unlike algae they require a substrate to grow on. The organisms not only produce hydrogen, but can clean up pollution as well.
""

http://www.cogeneration.net/HydrogenFuelCells.htm

[hunter]

6. As a practical matter you'd have to grow them in a bottle of some sort.

Otherwise, how do you collect the hydrogen? Even if you use this hydrogen right away to make other energy products, the efficiency is not high.

It seems to me that a purely mechanical system, such a parabolic trough style solar power plant, would be much easier to maintain for the amount of energy collected.

[Dogmudgeon]

12. Wouldn't algae-produced oils be more productive?

Several strains of oil-producing algae have been isolated that produce large amounts of vegetable oils suitable for conversion to biodiesel. The oil output is on the order of 10-100 times greater than the amount of oil produced by jojoba or palm trees. That's got to be more productive than capturing hydrogen gas, and more widely scalable, too.

--p!