Algae is widely touted as the next best source for fueling the world's energy
needs. But one of the greatest challenges in creating biofuels from algae is
that when you extract the oil from the algae, it kills the organisms, dramatically
raising production costs. Now researchers at the U.S.
Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University have developed
groundbreaking "nanofarming" technology that safely harvests oil from
the algae so the pond-based "crop" can keep on producing.
 | | Researchers at the Ames Laboratory are growing several strains of algae to test nanofarming technology that uses sponge-like mesoporous nanoparticles to extract biofuel oils from the organisms. Credit: U.S. Dept. of Energy's Ames Laboratory |
Commercialization of this new technology is at the center of a Cooperative
Research and Development Agreement between the Ames Laboratory and Catilin,
a nano-technology-based company that specializes in biofuel production. The
agreement targets development of this novel approach to reduce the cost and
energy consumption of the industrial processing of non- food source biofuel
feedstock. The three-year project is being funded with $885,000 from DOE's Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and $216,000 from Catilin and $16,000
from Iowa State University in matching funds.
The so-called "nanofarming" technology uses sponge-like mesoporous
nanoparticles to extract oil from the algae. The process doesn't harm the algae
like other methods being developed, which helps reduce both production costs
and the production cycle. Once the algal oil is extracted, a separate and proven
solid catalyst from Catilin will be used to produce ASTM (American Society for
Testing and Materials) and EN certified biodiesel.
The potential of algae for fuel is tremendous as up to 10,000 gallons of oil
may be produced on a single acre of land. The DOE estimates that if algae fuel
replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require only
15,000 square miles, which is a few thousand square miles larger than Maryland.
This is less than one-seventh the area devoted to corn production in the United
States in 2000.
The driving force behind this combination of nanotechnology and biofuels is
Ames Laboratory Chemical and Biological Sciences Program Director Victor Lin.
Since 2000, Lin, who is also a chemistry professor at Iowa State University,
has been leading research on using nanotechnology to dramatically change the
production process of biodiesel. This successful technology led Lin to found
Catilin one and a half years ago.
"By combining nanotechnology, chemistry and catalysis, we have been able
to find solutions that have not been considered to date," Lin said. "Ames
Laboratory and Iowa State University offer valuable research capabilities and
resources that will play a key role in this exciting collaboration with Catilin."
According to Marek Pruski, Ames Laboratory senior physicist and co- investigator
on the project, phase one and two of the project will cover the culturing and
selection of microalgae as well as the development of the specific nanoparticle-based
extraction and catalyst technologies for the removal of algal oil and the production
of biodiesel, respectively. Phase three will focus on scale-up of the catalyst
and pilot plant testing on conversion to biodiesel.
"When we ultimately put together this exceptional extraction technology
with Catilin's existing solid biodiesel catalyst, we will dramatically increase
the reality of renewable energy," said Catilin's CEO, Larry Lenhart. "Given
the Obama administration's objectives, the timing is perfect."
Posted April 7th, 2009
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