How to Harvest Algae for Fuel

As global warming and atmospheric pollution have an increasing presence in today's news, many people have called for a shift toward more efficient fuels. Research is underway on the possibility of using biofuels, or energy sources derived from organisms such as corn or algae. Alga is a promising candidate because it reproduces extremely quickly and, because it conducts photosynthesis, it can actually remove carbon dioxide during cultivation. Alga also has a low carbon footprint when burned. Researchers are attempting to determine whether algae can be a practical fuel source in the future.

Things You'll Need

• Algae culture
• Nutrient water
• Carbon dioxide tanks
• Mechanical oil press
• Watertight tubes or aquarium tanks
• Hexane
• Light source
• Fine-mesh net
• Fine filter

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Instructions

Harvesting and Processing Algae

• 1

  Collect algae from a pond. Identify a pond or lake with clear algal growth, and use a net with very fine mesh to collect a few clumps. Or, purchase a culture of algae from a biological supply company.

• 2

  Transfer the algae to water-tight containers. Fill the containers with pond water from the algae source or use filtered water prepared with nutrients such as basic sugars. Allow the algae sufficient space to multiply.

• 3

  Pump carbon dioxide into the containers. The algae will use the carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. Ensure that the tanks are exposed to light. Allow the algae to grow and reproduce until you have the desired amount.

• 4

  Remove the algae from the tanks with the fine-mesh net. Place them on the mechanical press. Use the press to crush the oils out of the algae.

• 5

  Add hexane to the crushed algae to further remove the oil. Filter the mixture to remove solid algae particles and leave just the oil.

• 6

  Burn the oil as fuel.