This document proposes using algae to produce biodiesel in San Luis Obispo County. It discusses how algae can be grown in ponds and produce high amounts of oil. While algae biodiesel production was found to be feasible in previous studies, the costs were still higher than petroleum at the time. The document examines using algae grown at the county's wastewater treatment plants and on farmland to fuel the county bus system. Hybrid buses could further reduce the land and algae oil needs. More research is still needed to make algae biodiesel cost competitive with petroleum.

1. Biodiesel From Microalgae
A Solution for a Sustainable San Luis Obospo
County
Mike Sass
Eric Amendt
Ryan Gleim
Tim McLenegan
Tim Whitacre
April 29, 2005

2. Outline
 Biodiesel from algae
 Feasibility of algae
 Oil collection and refining
 Application to our county

3. Algae Overview
Tim McLenegan
Eric Amendt

4. Algae and Biodiesel
 Algae Biodiesel is a good replacement for
standard crop Biodiesels like soy and canola
 Up to 70% of algae biomass is usable oils
 Algae does not compete for land and space
with other agricultural crops
 Algae can survive in water of high salt
content and use water that was previously
deemed unusable

5. Storing the Sun’s Energy
(Photosynthesis)
 What is needed
– Sunlight
– CO2
– Nutrients
 Storage of Energy
– Lipids and oils
– Carbohydrates
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

6. What affects oil production?
 Climate
– Cold weather reduces algae oil production
– Overcast days reduce sunlight and lower oil
production
 Nutrients
– Depletion of Nitrogen and Silicate

7. Controlling Nutrients
 Nitrogen
– Aids in cell division
 Silicate
– Aids in cell wall production
 Depleting Nutrients
– Starving the algae of these two nutrients reduce the rate of
cell division
– Oil production remains constant
– Results in an increase in the oil to mass ratio

8. The Algae Pond
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

9. Mass Production of Algae
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

10. Choosing an Algae
 Important
characteristics of Algae
– High % of total biomass
is oil
– Maintains a high % of oil
even under stress
– Compatible with the San
Luis Obispo climate
www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -

11. What Type of Algae
 Botryococcus braunii
– Converts 61% of its
biomass into oil
– Drops to only 31% oil
under stress
– Grows best between 22-
25
o
C (71-77
o
F)
www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -

12. Where To Grow It
 Extensions onto our water treatment plants
– Clean up our waste and generate fuel
 Agriculture runoff
– Exploit the county’s many farms and vineyards
 Soda Lake
– Salt lake east of Santa Margarita
– Vast open space of Carrizo Plain
– Only has water in winter/spring months
– National Monument status may prevent development

13. Feasibility
Tim Whitacre

14. Feasibility
 Is it too good to be true?
– DOE concluded a 16-year study of algal biomass in 1996
(and wrote a 328-page report)
 http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf
– Conducted large-scale tests in California, New Mexico and
Hawaii
 With good temperatures, could harvest 50 grams of algae per
sq. meter per day
 Used a 1,000 m2
pond for 1 year
– Research stopped due to budget cuts
– UNH paper may hopefully rekindle research
 With more research/funding, it can be done

15. Comments from NREL
“Projections for future costs of petroleum are a
moving target. DOE expects petroleum costs to
remain relatively flat over the next 20 years.
Expecting algal biodiesel to compete with such
cheap petroleum prices is unrealistic. Without some
mechanism for monetizing its environmental benefits
(such as carbon taxes), algal biodiesel is not going to
get off the ground.”

16. Comments from NREL
“Engineering design and cost studies have been done
throughout the course of the ASP, with ever increasing realism
in the design assumptions and cost estimates. The last set of
cost estimates for the program was developed in 1995. These
estimates showed that algal biodiesel cost would range from
$1.40 to $4.40 per gallon based on current and long-term
projections for the performance of the technology. Even with
assumptions of $50 per ton of CO2 as a carbon credit, the cost
of biodiesel never competes with the projected cost of
petroleum diesel.”

17. http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CO/M
$ Per Barrel

18. Show Me The Money!!!
 The current price of diesel is growing
 What does this mean for Biodiesel?

19. Michael Briggs of University of New
Hampshire
 Production ability
– 37,500 gallons per hectare of desert land per year
 Pond construction
– $80,000 per hectare
 Operating Costs
– $12,000 per hectare

20. NREL results
Benemann and Oswald (1996)
 Capital Investment
– $69,000 to $104,400 per hectare
 Operating Costs
– $21,370 to $32,320 per hectare per year
 Algal Oil Costs
– $39 to $69 per barrel
– $0.93 to $1.65 per gallon
 16,000 to 32,000 gallons per hectare per year

21. Cost per hectare

23. Processing Costs
 $0.30 to $1.00 per gallon
 Without taxes or profit
– Michael Briggs
 $0.32 per gallon of biodiesel
– Real World
 $1.23 - $2.65 per gallon of biodiesel

24. San Luis Costs
 The startup costs per processing plant would
be the same as noted in the fall presentation
on Biodiesel.
– $15,000,000 per 30,000,000 gallon plants.
 Our research shows that the cost per algal
pond would be greater.

25. Assuming $0.10 profit per gallon
Total Costs
Return On Investment
-$100,000,000
$0
$100,000,000
$200,000,000
$300,000,000
$400,000,000
$500,000,000
$600,000,000
$700,000,000
$800,000,000
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
2027
2029
2031
2033
2035
2037
2039
2041
2043
2045
2047
2049
Year
GallonsandMoney
Total Cap Cost
Gallons a year
Total Profit
Red/Black

26. Oil Collection and Refining
Mike Sass

27. Pressing oil from the algae
 Dry the algae and press the oil from it.
 Can retrieve up to 70% of the oil.
 While drying must prevent the algae from
becoming contaminated.
 Cheapest and simplest method

28. http://forums.biodieselnow.com/topic.asp?TOPI
Chemical Oil Extraction
 Use hexane solvents to remove the oil.
 Hexane is a neurotoxin.
 Must be careful when using.
 Removes oil out of almost all things.

29. http://www.organix.net/organix/supercritical.htm
Super Critical Oil Extraction
 Most efficient method.
 Uses carbon dioxide at critical pressure and
temperature (CO2 is almost a liquid).
 Carbon dioxide.
 Rapid diffusion of the oil.
 Very expensive process.

30. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pd
TAG (triacylglycerol)
 Three chains of fatty acids attached to a glycerol
 Natural oil from the algae

31. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pd
Transesterification
 Start with triacylglycerol
(TAG)
 End up with ester
alcohol (biodiesel)

32. http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Prod
Three ways to produce biodiesel
 Base catalyzed transesterification with
alcohol.
 Acid catalyzed esterification with methanol.
 Convert the oil to fatty acids. Then acid
catalyze to alkyl esters.

33. http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Prod
Base Catalyzed with Alcohol
 Most common process
 Most economical
 Low pressure (20psi)
 Low temperature (150o
F)
 No intermediate steps
 High conversion rate (98%)

34. http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Prod
General Process

35. Application To Our County
Ryan Gleim

36. RTA
Current County Bus System
 CCAT and SCAT
6
#
#
38,178.08 5
104,170.11 18
TotalGas TG Gas For All Busses for months
of Busses NB
Gallons per Bus GPB
Gallons per Day per Bus GPD
Gallons per Acre per year GPA
of Acres required A
SCAT gallons for Busses
CCAT gallons for Busses
TG S
= =
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
= ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
CAT gallons CCAT gallons
NB SCAT busses CCAT busses
+
= +

37. Fuel Requirements
104170.11 38178.08 142348.19( )
5 18 23
142348.19
6189.05( 6 )
23
183 6
6189.05
33.82( )
183
TG gallons
NB
TG
GPB gallons per Bus for months
NB
Time days per months
GPB
GPD gallons per day perbus
Time
= + =
= + =
= = =
=
= = =

38. Biodiesel Requirements
 Using Biodiesel in current diesel busses
2( ) 2(142348.19)
43.8( )
6500
2( ) 2(142348.19)
21.9( )
13000
TG
A acres
GPA
TG
A acres
GPA
= = =
= = =

39. Diesel Hybrid
 GM Hybrid Bus

40. http:www.gm.com/company/adv_tech/300_hybr
Hybrid Bus Statistics
 GM Hybrid Bus
– EP
system
– Clean Hybrid technology
– Hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide reduction of
about 90%
– Nitrous oxide reduction of about 50%
– Already in service in many cities
– Up to 60% improved fuel economy

41. Calculations Adjusted
 Using Biodiesel in HYBRID diesel busses
60% 0.60
2( ) 2(142348.19)
(1 0.60) 17.5( )
6500
2( ) 2(142348.19)
(1 0.60) 8.8( )
13000
Hybrid fuel usageimprovement
TG
A acres
GPA
TG
A acres
GPA
= =
= = − =
= = − =

42. Conclusion
 Algae is a very efficient means of producing
biodiesel
 The oil production from algae farms is
feasible and scalable
 Further research necessary to unlock full
potential of algae

43. Questions