Scientists from the Delft University of Technology have made progress in the field of obtaining new types of biofuels. By studying fatty algae, scientists have isolated an oil from aquatic organisms that can become a serious competitor to modern fuels.
The search for alternative energy sources is an urgent problem, to which the attention of scientists has been directed for several decades. After the 1978 fuel crisis, when oil prices skyrocketed, researchers from different countries began to study high-octane organics - a renewable and environmentally friendly resource. The optimal inexhaustible source is microalgae.
Theory
In the process of photosynthesis, algae not only convert solar energy, but also accumulate fatty acids and lipids, the content of which reaches 40 percent of the total mass. It is these components that are of primary interest to scientists. According to calculations, about 10 thousand liters of biofuel per year can be produced from 1 hectare of ponds. The indicators of microalgae are hundreds of times higher than those of crops growing on the ground (corn, wheat, soybeans). In theory, 200,000 hectares of ponds could provide fuel for 5 percent of all US vehicles.
The main task of scientists is to breed the algae with the highest oil content. Other problems are the technological difficulties in breeding aquatic microorganisms, as well as finding a way to efficiently convert biomass into fuel.
Practice
“The ultimate goal of our research is to obtain fatty algae with an increased oil concentration. We are developing a technology for producing oil and further processing the resulting fat into biodiesel suitable for industrial production, ”said Peter Moidge, a member of the laboratory team at the University of Technology. The proposed technology is not only environmentally friendly, but also waste-free: after centrifugation, the biomass is separated into biodiesel and ethanol. The research results will be published in Energy & Environmental Science this week.
What's next?
The creation of "algal factories" is a matter of the near future - many countries already have demonstration plants and laboratories working to optimize the production and processing of microalgae.
The aviation industry is also interested in this type of fuel - Boeing announced the possibility of developing aviation biodiesel in the coming years.
