![Picture](/uploads/5/1/5/4/51547989/488818830.jpg?250)
Introduction: We all need fuel to get around. As america takes steps to improve our energy security, homegrown fuel sources are more important than ever. The Energy Department is researching one of the fuel sources of the future found in algae. There are some large, man-made ponds to cultivate algae in every few weeks, they are called raceways. Algae, or more correctly, microalgae, are very small aquatic organisms that convert sunlight into energy. Some of these algae store energy in the form of natural oils. Under the right conditions, algae can make a lot of oil that can be converted into biofuels. Due to scientist’s research, algae could produce up to 60 times more oil per acre than land-based plants.If the oil in the algae can be extracted , then you will have the raw materials to make fuel for cars, trucks, trains, and planes. In the future, anything that runs on gasoline and diesel could also use biofuel from algae. The oil is extracted by breaking down the cell structure of the algae. This can be done by using solvents, or sound waves. After you extracted the oil from algae, then it needs to processed at an integrated biorefinery — or, in the future, at a traditional oil refinery.
|
|
|