An Algae Bioreactor from Recycled Water Bottles

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.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• algae
• biofuel
• energy
• green
• fuel
• plants
• photosynthesis
• corn
• ethanol
• CO2
• climate
• sequester
• oil
• stanford
• food
• world

[locksmithmuggle]

You lost all credibility when you showed us your sandals.

[Robbob9933]

@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.

[Sigismuendlein]

Michael Fischer!? we need more people like u, because I think he is a good man!! how is fighting

for a better world! keep on...

[shmalphy]

credibility lost @ 1:06

[catfordj]

@Robbob9933 I agree

[mephistophiles55]

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!

[Robots4Sale]

@SuperDrmadman the green kind

[Robots4Sale]

haha what was that on his feet i'm lost now

[painta76]

where are you getting the co2 from is it compressed into canisters or are you pumping normal air in?

[TheMonkeyboy768]

@kdc43 Im not saying give up. Im say you need to find a realistic way to make it happen. Can you estimate the cost of harvesting algae for commercial use? Flying is one thing. How are you going to harvest a BILLION tons of algae A DAY?! (your only gonna get a 40%-50% oil yeild from the algae.) Do you know what a billion is? Hmmm. What do I know? Im just a silly nay-sayer.