Algea BioReactor from Recycled Bottles

1. Edward
   February 3rd, 2009 at 4:42 pm

   As neat as this is, it is at best a high school science project. I am not impressed with algae in bottles. I want to see him "centrifuge" the algae and "crush" it to make oil. Not saying it can't be done, but I doubt he will make enough oil to run the motor that pumps his "CO2" into the bottles.

2. 1 Lucky Texan
   February 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 pm

   Yeah, I believe I heard him say he was pumping in CO2, not air. So there's the issue of concentrating that gas.

   Plus, what is the carbon footprint of that blower/pump he turned on?

   please....

   Carl

3. kid_icarus
   February 3rd, 2009 at 6:12 pm

   i saw on the science channel that there is a biologist in new mexico ( i think) that is doing this on a much larger scale and more efficiently. unfortunately the technology to get the oil from the algae is currently too expensive, and it is a specific type of algae that can do this (ie not your everyday pond algae will be able to create oil).....however, the truly cool part is the algae grows exponentially.....so today you have 2 liters tomorrow you have 4 the following day you have 8 etc. etc etc.

4. Gauldar
   February 3rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm

   We won't take advantage of making mass amounts of this stuff until we run out of petrolium completly... because we're humans... and stupid like that.

5. skidworth
   February 3rd, 2009 at 9:17 pm

   i'm with edward on this one.....what you see is one fiftieth of what you'd need to power the carbonator pump alone!

6. Ratz
   February 4th, 2009 at 2:42 pm

   This was on tomrrow's world in 1992. Using a giant coil of transparent tube they grew algae in it, dried it and then fueled a diesel (I think) engine. There was also a brief example of it being squirted through a naked flame and my did it burn! Sadly it's yet to be seen in viably large quantities, but cool tech. all the same.

7. Christophe
   February 4th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

   I'm with Edward.

8. ted
   February 4th, 2009 at 11:36 pm

   if he ever offers you a drink, just pass.

9. renderanything
   February 4th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

   Plastic bottles and zip-ties do not footwear make.

   Yes, there are hurdles to overcome, but it's an interesting field to pursue.

10. Jah
    February 5th, 2009 at 2:51 pm

    What he has designed is a basic proof of concept. While I highly doubt he has a + EROI with this setup, he has an idea which possibly could be done on a larger scale, likely getting more efficient with higher volumes. Not a solution for our much more simple problem of overpopulation, but perhaps a good way to reduce our impacts, while offering us the opportunity to chat knowledgeably on the inter-webs.

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