An Algae Bioreactor from Recycled Water Bottles
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- Опубліковано 16 лис 2008
- Michael Fischer
Stanford University
mfischer at stanford.edu
Two major problems facing the physical world today can be broadly categorized into (1) how to increase the amount of consumable energy available for the worlds needs and (2) how to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases produced. Of course, these problems are negatively linked together inasmuch as, without further offsets, an increase in the production of carbon fuels leads to an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases produced when these fuels are consumed. In this video we shall look at a method that breaks this negative link by considering a project that increases the worlds supply of oil using biofuels and which at the same time decreases the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide used during its production. The resulting product is a sustainable biofuel whose carbon footprint is neutral inasmuch as the CO2 produced on consumption is essentially balanced by the CO2 used in its production. - Наука та технологія
![Algae Photobioreactor [Overview] - The PBR 1250L by Industrial Plankton](/img/n.gif)
2019... this video could not be more relatable now
Maria Hernandez it’s so sad that so many people knew of more than enough ways to solve the climate catastrophe we’re in now decades ago. Nothing has been done about it because it isn’t profitable.
Thank You for working in the solution rather than whining about the problem.
Peace.
I'm failing to figure out why you're wearing bottles on your feet.
istoleyourpie RECYCLING! FLIP FLOPS! SINGLE HANDEDLY SAVING THE PLANET! God forbid hippies figure out plastic melts at 70-140 degrees and can be reformed without burning.
*Reusing not recycling
maybe it just for fun.
He's a stanford student (obviously).
WHAT ARE THOSE???
I think this is basically a scaled down demonstration of the process. Most CO2 is pumped out of industry into the atmosphere as waste. This demonstrates how that waste could be used to produce more sustainable vegetable oils or food
131 people dont like sandals, most of those people also do not like granola ;) good on ya Michael for making this setup and the video, keep doing ya thing :)
This was a good presentation. What have you done with this idea since 2008?
Hello Michael. Are you still with Stanford University and working with algae bioreactors and fuels? I am very interested in learning more about your projects and the programs at the university that focus on developing biofuels from algae. Thank you so much!
You rock, the only person that is not working for an institute and has sucessful done a prototype!!! Keep up the good work. I have always wanted to do it but i lack time and skill
Not at an institution? Stanford...?
And its not true. Tons of people have build their own reactors. Me included btw. Back then also not affiliated with any institution.
Thats a nice and simple bio-reactor. I have a question tough, do you keep the bio reactors out doors or in-doors with artificial lights? What type of algae strains do you use? I am thinking of building one my self :-)
Right, I remember one place in Hawaii that grew algae for nutritional purposes, no pumps, but a lot of surface area.
Very good explanation :D
Actually, although I doubt such a system is a viable option due to the required energy input (EROEI ratio is in the negatives), it has alternate uses, if it scrubs CO2 from the atmosphere: for example, it can be used as a CO2 scrubber for a CBR shelter, for a space habitation, or for a lunar colony. The atmosphere cycled through the scrubber would be nearly CO2 free and the oxygen released is breathable. Maybe as a closed breathing system it has promise.
love this clip it addresses the polution issue without the useual gio political bs A simple well thought out alternative naturl idea that is based on simple natural processes most anyone can both understand and reproduce to see for themselves Thanx for a voice of reason in a loud world of confusion and bs
I've heard about an aquaponics which would use not just plants(hydroponics), but would include an underwater environment
I saw those bottle sandals was invented by some poor people in africa where they wear that (on picture over the internet), is a good way of recycle if you your guys think about it.. ain't this video is about go green, bio fuel and safe the planet? so he doing good.. good job dude!
Mad Love. Much respect
The lack of ANY response from the poster indicates the reality and feasibility of this project.
wow that bottle sandal really cought me off guard
The thing about using just aquarium pumps is that one the algae gets to a certain density, the die-off rate ramps up because the CO2 consumption during the day and oxygen levels at night aren't able to sustain sufficient levels from a tiny pump.
what species of algae did you use, also what media/nutrients do they need
where are you getting the co2 from is it compressed into canisters or are you pumping normal air in?
Yes, somebody had finally made initiative!!! can you tell me how to extract the oil? coz thats the hardest part.
I bet the chicks just love this guy with his fashionable shoes. And he's such a snappy dresser. Also his algae system will revolutionize the world.
Hey I wanna try and grow algea as food/fuel so that I don't choke to death in 30 years. What do I feed the algae that I can make/grow for cheap?
i love ur energy thanks for this video many blessings
Which algea did you use for extracting biofeul?
Solar is great....if you lack that try bicycle power....a short run on the bike should store enough energy in a battery or two to keep the pumps going.....and the exercise is good for you...
Cool sandal dude. By the way, can I know what did you use to pump the carbon dioxide? and for your information, I am still 16 years old and I cannot afford any machine in this age. So I want to know, can I breed algae without using the carbon dioxide machine?
I'm a studying biotechnology, nice bioreactors, man!
Could you make a DIY bioreactor?
I am burning wood...so there would be enpough co2. How about other stuff in the exhaust? will it effect the growth?
How could you circle and filter the algae? How much bottels would you need for 10l oil a day? Where do I get the algae and which sort is it?
Community farming for farmers would be great too but it must seperae on the large scale
Hello sir
Which types of fertilizer use for algae cultivation
Wow this is very good 👏
My friend , How do you create these air bubbles that go into the pet bottles? I am thinking of guiding my students in a project for the science fair with this approach. mount a photobioreactor.
By the way for my own experiments I have seen a yeast, sugar and gelatin mix that produces co2 over a long period that can be bubbled through the algae.
For each 1kg of biomass, it produces 1.8kg of Oxygen, and takes 1.8kg of CO2 out of the atmosphere. I'm not sure the maths works (eg the ratio is probably 2 oxygen:1carbon by definition, but I didn't argue with the news article.).
i kept waiting to the see the sandals. was not disappointed
@DingoBabyEat For what it's worth, coal must also be mined and transported, and it burns dirtier than petrolium products. As a solid, it cannot be piped. (Ethanol and corn also can not be moved through a pipeline) Furthermore, the internal combustion engine is not the most inefficient kind of engine... if it was we would still be using (coal fired) steam power.
Part of the reason that Diesel made his engine was because nothing was on the market that was affordable to operate (efficient)
yr positive attitude is applaudable, makes u a beatiful people.
Using Algae require constant air pump. Did you do any calculation on the electric power /energy needed to generate 1 gallon of biodiesel ? What it the ROI ?
How much biodiesel can you make with the bio-reactor there?
Seems to me that in small scale operation, a solar powered pump would be able to cycle CO2 in without much trouble. You'd have to look at the impact manufacturing the panels would have, environmentally, but if you're recycling bottles and old garden lights, it could be a good solution.
Good point on the air pump, I personally doubt this system is energy positive. However, I must point out though that it is not algae specifically that requires an air pump, but rather, the need for an air pump is a symptom of his choice to use water bottles.
The only downside to using plastic bottles are shoes, is that you create micro-plastics.
I am unaware if this is better or worse than recycling or sending to a garbage disposal, so I am only mentioning 1 thing that may be useful to know that I didn't know about until the last few years of learning.
how much oil can you get out of this size operation, measured in days/week/month? It will be economically viable soon but right now i think diesel fuel is cheap enough the start up and operating cost, and time needed for a larger scale backyard operation might just not be worth it. It will be a great day, someday to get off foreign oil and everyone to create this in their backyard though.
I'm a packrat, I save back the tubing from my oxygen machine which would have a perfect use here.
Is this a fresh water algae? Can you use a saltwater algae? Fresh water is more precious than salt water, which is abundant. What do you feed the algae apart from CO2? I was thinking about running sewage into the algae reactor to promote growth.
Can you use sunlight to evaporate the water to make the paste, instead of centrifuging.
where is this project now ? why didn't it got picked up ?
Centrifuge? What did you end up figuring? Why is the high fat content good? Pardon my ignorance.
@frederickgraff Centrifugal filter or press? Should be able to reduce the water content enough then you run it through a oven like how they bake bread factory style, or u can sun dry it if ur not in a hurry.
I cracked at the flip-flop scene.
why does it need to be pure co2 pumped into the bottles? Air from the atmosphere still has co2 and absorbing that will have benefits to the environment
Hi, I´m planning to do this myself and I have some questions:
Do you need a special species of algae for this or will our rain water do it?
Which fertilizer do you use? How much?
thanks!
any common pond algae I think
i believe it needs more "aeration" than what would be supplied naturally. this occurs by currents, waves, winds in nature.
They also have a method using sonic waves to break the cells.
though H2O might be the most enormous potential of energy resources, but the cost of seperating H and O is still costly, hopefully some one can come out with cheaper method. green our world.
Brilliant!
hey man nice vid. If you wanna wear the flipflops just do it. Dont listen to this guys. I take u seriously cuz what u say makes sense. Dont let others set your fashion standards. You are yourself.
to grow algae is pretty simple job but the question is how to convert it into biodiesel in an economic or cheaper way ?
does it produce more energy than the pump uses? if not i can think of afew possible solutions but that seems something that needs to be taken into account.
>does it produce more energy than the pump uses?
I am pretty sure that the laws of physics deem that impossible.
@pac6010 You missed my point entirely. If you want to produce oil from alge to use as a fuel, does it make sense to burn fuel in the process.
growing algae is pretty simple, but the major question is energy input and ouput for extracting the algae. for most industrial production, the major fuel source is still from fossil fuels. algae fuel may not be a viable source of energy if the energy input is more than the output. petroleum is great simply because all the energy input is free from years of under the earth pressure. however
that sandal made my day
Corn (ethanol) gives a return of 1 to 1, it takes 1 barrel of oil worth of energy (equivalent), to produce 1 barrel of oil worth of energy (equivalent). Obvious it is not a viable option, my guess is, this is even less. Do you have any projected numbers? Thanks.
You could use a reaction like baking soda and vinegar to produce CO2 in a closed reaction chamber that could build enough pressure to force the gas through the bioreactor... yes?
May u clearly state the compositions
Its a matter of price its thermodynamics. It always take more energy to split the hydrogen from the water molecules than you get from burning that hydrogen, making water again. You are loosing energy every time even if it was free. Plus hydrogen is difficult to compress so it's hard to transport and it's explosive so you don't want to store it.
Some form of carbon based energy storage (bio-diesel, alcohol, natural gas, regular petroleum) or nuclear is the best choice.
how do you get co2? just pump it from outside air? can the air pump be replaced by electric motor (maybe solar and batt powered)? can you make a vid about processing the algae please. *clicks Like*
hampture.blogspot.com/2011/06/algae-based-life-support.html
Habitat of animals like mice or hamster could do it
electric engine would miss the point. what you say connecting an engine too it is a really good idea. since a fuel engine burns the fuel releasing co2. An electric car wouldnt do this. anyways you can buy co2 on the market too.
Awesome!
so how many gallons of Algae do you need to make 1 gallon of bio-oil?
will using recycled pet bottles like this be suitable for human-grade food algae like spirulina? or will it degrade overtime and become unsuitable for food production?
Spirulina would absolutely work, and the bottles would definitely degrade over time. I'd probably use plastic bottles at first to prototype and test the project, then sub in glass or food grade plastic bottles.
And how much energy for baking soda and vinegar ? :(
@1BustedMyth Nice to know the internet is always thinking about me!
I hate to see this unanswered as it is the same bit of information I am looking for.
After some digging, I found a rough estimate for us.
First off, here is Michaels How-To for this experiment (not sure why it is not linked);
www.instructables.com/id/An-Algae-Bioreactor-from-Recycled-Water-Bottles/
Secondly, here are a few sources on Large-Scale Algae Production statistics;
allaboutalgae.com/faq-history/, "The generally accepted range of how much fuel can be produced from an acre of algae is 2,000-5,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year."
www.americanenergyindependence.com/algaefarms.aspx, "The University of New Hampshire Biodiesel Group 'While traditional crops have yields of around 50-150 gallons of biodiesel per acre per year, algae can yield 5,000-20,000 gallons per acre per year.'"
www.energy.gov/eere/videos/energy-101-algae-fuel, "Algae could potentially produce up to 60 times more oil per acre than land-based plants."
And last but not least my favorite source so far (I love NASA, plus they really want the cheaper fuel!);
www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_ScienceCafeJune.html, "The VCERC is providing the data necessary for a full economic feasibility study of algae-to-biodiesel production within Virginia from a working algal "raceway," which is estimated to produce 3,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. The raceway is on one acre of the Spring Grove Farm in Surry County."
So, weighing our sources, we are looking at a projected yield of 2,000 - 5,000 Gallons per Acre per Year (~ 3,500 Gallons/Acre/Year)
Now why Michaels project is so interesting is due to his Engineering background, I assume. This adds a few variables to our math, aligning us closer to our yields for THIS project. So...what are our factors?
Land farms collect light from the top-down alone. Water bottles, if placed correctly have access to nearly 360 degrees of light penetration. Will this matter? Yes, algae growth is highly affected by light intake and the additional light may affect yields and growth rates.
Land farms generate agitation to stimulate algae growth with (motorized) water wheels. The Water bottles CO2 input should be capable of properly agitating the algae, however, due to the density, algae (green tinting within bottles) will eventually rise to the top of the bottle, attach to CO2 inputs, and possibly coagulate into a gelatinous form. So? A proper solution should be implemented to counter-attack this property as it may lead to exponential decay in growth rates and therefore lower yields. One possible solution brainstormed up is; introduce punched vents (holes) from smallest in size to largest in size down the length of the CO2 input tubes that will rest underwater, this will allow the CO2 to escape not only out of the end of the tube, and the bottom of the bottle, but also in varying amounts throughout the entire bottle. Hypothetically, this should reduce coagulation within the bottle, while providing an improved evening in distribution of CO2 to our algae crop.
Land farms collect and store heat within the surrounding land, which helps algae produce throughout the night. Temperature is a large factor in algae growth also. The water bottles in Michaels example are line-fed CO2 gas and do not have a high thermal capacity (this is the trade of plastic versus, say, think glass with metal flakes suspended within) It is important that CO2 entering the water bottles passes through a gaseous expansion chamber (Tank -> Expansion Chamber -> Lines) to allow drops in temperature (rapid decompression of gasses stimulates thermodynamic reactions) to rise naturally.
Now after all that;
It takes roughly ~325,851 Gallons of Water to cover 1 Acre.
Now...that is ~41,708,928 Fluid Ounces of Water per Acre.
Which on average produces ~3,500 Gallons of Biofuel.
So you would produce ~0.0014181615983993 Gallons of Biofuel / 16.9 Fl Oz Water Bottle / Year.
Or ~0.073744403116762 Gallons of Biofuel / 52 Bottles / Year.
However, we are comparing two widely different methods, while also ignoring extraction technology.
Post-script;
Another experiment document with more details; agsci.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/bioenergy/education/algae_final_interactive.pdf
Also, practical scaling would depend on the in-house generation of CO2 or CO2-waste scrubbing. As the cost of harvesting, tanking and pumping CO2 would likely lower profit margins, or for the DIYer, it would make it cost more to operate than the overall savings on fuel. ua-cam.com/video/d9WSPjq468E/v-deo.html
@donsjuand Thanks man. Nice to know some of us out there are after the root of the problem.
What type of algae are you using?
Are there engines that run off of algae oil? Just seems to me that hemp is a far better option.
I keep looking at that. Can you do a video explaining foot bottles?
Of all the things in this video the foot bottles made me the most uncomfortable. 😂
hi, i'd be interested in...
*what type of algea and how/where you get it
*seeing the the whole growing cycle (does the algea just sit in water or do you cycle water thru it)
*the centrifuge or drying process (how dry is dry enough?)
*changing the dried algea paste into biofuel
if you have this info... send me an email!
Man that's awesome... Can I see the design?
Great project. need to try
;-; nerdd
What type of Algae are you growing there?
@jackgr13 as they wear down... wouldn't all the tiny particles end up in the sea, into that plastic island ?
Michael, You need to do this video again, but pay better attention to the audio. This edition was recorded too hot and has too much noise-reduction processing.
I like the idea, but it needs a better presentation.
+William Maddock Yeah, it seems that in this age of learning everything from a youtube video, people don't learn how to make better videos. Using a lapel mic would have been better for us to hear him.
+Zac+Millie+Buddy It was also made 8 years ago.
@frederickgraff they dry it reducing its liquid contains then they use mechanical pumps to apply pressure to it squezzing oils from it because water will dry but the oil will lock into the algae because oils low release rate
damn pump @ 1.22 scared the bejesus out of my cat - now i have a lap full of porridge - thanks
this is cool ....i want to try it in our house
Where can i get a pair of those sandals ? actually no.
where do you get your co2?
Your body
@cjg0815 Once the oil is gone and gas is unavailable or prohibitively expensive you won't have any choice but to use alternate fuels.
Oil used to be 1 for 100. It would take 1 barrel of oil worth of energy to get 100 barrels of oil out of the ground, we are now (as of 2011) at 1 for 17. Oil is getting close to being a non viable fuel source, within our life time. Alternatives need to be found, so unless you have any ideas, just stick to what you know, consumption.
Does anybody know how to filter that algae?
The only problem with this method is that it takes more energy to get the oil out than you actually get from the oil. Read Yusaf Chisti's "Response to Rejinders: Do biofuels from microalgae beat biofueals from terrestrial plants?" You can get it on google scholar. Basically centrifugation is to energy intensive
why the video is muted
@Woblek ,well, if my memory don't betray me! plants consume CO2 and produce O2? hence the importance to develop a harmonius way to maintain the chemical balance of our planet! bro, we are living very exiting days! we can alter plans ,we can do so much ! I only know that, I don't know it all! but the potencial is there!
This guy is a D.I.Y. guy on other stuff besides just this project. He must of been watching other D.I.Y. videos about what can old plastic bottles be used for, and seen a video about "How to make sandals out of old plastic bottles. I think that's cool too. That's what's up with the shoe/feet thing people.
@cromartie800 All of his bottle could be run on little aquarium pumps powerd by a little solar panel. Gentle stirring does help the alge grow faster. But that big honking carbon producing compressor kind of defeats the purpose.
@1Rectified if and only if the water is exposed to large enough air surface, and enough water movement to dissolve CO2 to help photosynthesis.
Is it not more simple to make a hole in every bottle that lets the co 2 in and the tubes on the back then you need no pomp am i right?
martijn games nl U cant feed Algae with Co2 from air,because as i know there is only 0.04% ,and needed for Algae is 5-30%.U can buy compressed CO2 in big cans,it should not be expensive at all.
Okay thanks (where can i but algaes in the eu?)
martijn games nl I really not know,i am from Montenegro,here nobody grow Algae,all i know about them is from reading on internet :).Here i found this now answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100912025822AAwZlkO
TheSRBgamer63 Follow people comments on that yahoo page,they posted links where to buy ,here is one of them www.algabiotics.org/Products.html
you are right fragwits thanks
Kickin sandals man.
Is it posible to grow some Spirulina this way?
Well, yeah, its just algae, the species doesn't matter
We would like to produce a DIY Algae CO2 sequestration device. Can you assist us?
what's the use of the air pump?
Algae feeds off of CO2 which is present in the air
" a better solution would be to use the carbon that's already in the atmosphere'
its Energy , not Carbon, that we need.
having said that agree that piping burnt fossil c02 into algae tanks is a great idea for 'damage limitation'