Summary
Algae are an excellent source of lipids for biodiesel production. They can grow under conditions that terrestrial plants cannot grow, in water, using CO2 and waste materials. Pairing the proper species of algae with appropriate growing conditions will increase the amount of oil produced by the algae. Discussion on the economics of algae production will be included in another lesson, in order to compare it to other sources of biodiesel. For now, I will note that production under highly controlled conditions can be expensive.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- explain how algae grow and the important factors in growth for fuels;
- describe the use of algae for various fuels, from making biodiesel to gases and alcohols;
- evaluate the efficacy of using algae for fuels.
References
Mata et al. (2010) Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 14: 217–232.
Liao, W., Khanal, S., Park, S.Y., Li, Y., BEEMS Module A3, Algae, USDA Higher Education Challenger Program 2009-38411-19761, 2009.
Reminder - Complete all of the Lesson 10 tasks!
You have reached the end of Lesson 10! Double-check the Road Map on the Lesson 10 Overview page to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before you begin Lesson 11.
Questions?
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