Harvesting the algae will always be a concern depending on the system. It will take more effort to harvest algae from an open pond system than it would from a continuous harvesting photo-bioreactors

1. What to Look for in an Algae Bioreactor
by Vic G.
Renewable Energy entrepreneurs are now looking for the best bioreactors
with the right stuff. What is the right stuff you ask? Well it has to be a algae
farm that meets a number of challenges: be affordable, scalable, able to
handle variable temperatures at different client sites.
Low Cost of Implementation
The first area of concern is always the cost. As with all systems of a
commercial scale, cost is king. The technology at this point has many faces
to include row crops, large open pond systems, race way systems and photo-
bioreactors. Thy system you choose must have nutrients to feed the algae,
water and sunlight. Your carbon dioxide inputs can be active or ambient air.
Cross contamination of the algae is a concern, but intended use of the algae
will be your guide.
Continuous Harvesting
Harvesting the algae will always be a concern depending on the system. It
will take more effort to harvest algae from an open pond system than it
would from a continuous harvesting photo-bioreactors. Continuous
harvesters do just that, always harvest algae cake, at this point you will only
need staff to move the algae cake to the next stations for drying and oil
extraction.
Oil Extraction
• There are three well-known methods to extract the oil from oilseeds,

2. and these methods apply equally well for algae too:
• 1. Expeller/Press
2. Hexane solvent oil extraction
3. Supercritical Fluid extraction
• Expeller/Press
• Expression/Expeller press-When algae is dried it retains its oil
content, which then can be "pressed" out with an oil press. Many
commercial manufacturers of vegetable oil use a combination of
mechanical pressing and chemical solvents in extracting oil.
• While more efficient processes are emerging, a simple process is to
use a press to extract a large percentage (70-75%) of the oils out
of algae.
• Hexane Solvent Method
• Algal oil can be extracted using chemicals. Benzene and ether have
been used, but a popular chemical for solvent extraction is hexane,
which is relatively inexpensive.
• Supercritical Fluid Method
• Supercritical extraction involves, pressure and heat to burst algal cell
walls.
No matter what algae medium you chose just make sure it meets your needs
and production goals.
Algae Biofuel will play a very important part in meeting the worlds growing
energy need, Algae has a place in not only our past, but in our future as
well.
Vic G. has been a long proponent of bio-fuels from algae and produces bio-
fuel for his own vehicles. He is currently helping others discover algae
based fuels as a solution to high fuel prices. He can be contacted at
info@algae-book.com: http://algae-book.com/
This is a "Shareware" Article
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This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or
include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left
intact including this notice. Copyright © 2009 Vic G.