3. Florida ATS on Farm Canal
(Fresh Water Algal Turf)
22 abundant species of:
Green Algae
Red Algae
Brown Algae (diatoms)
Blue Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
Keystone Species
Cladophora crispata
Enteromorpha micrococca
Compsopogon coeruleus
Spirogyra rivularis
Melosira spp.
Eunotia pectinalis
4. Algal Turf Scrubbers (ATS)
Attached algae/ Many species/ Several algal groups
Applied biomimicry
Multiple benefits: environment/energy/materials
Mature Technology: Operating to 10acre systems today
Designed to 1440 acre systems for tomorrow
Modular: any size possible next year
5.
6.
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9.
10.
11.
12. S-154 System:
ATS test system of 2.5 acres, for processing
10-20 Mgpd of farm stream water
14. Some diatoms are composed
of 60% triglycerides by mass
and grow in 3 days
15. Professor Steven Bertman
Dept. of Chemistry
Western Michigan University
“No more BTUs down the drain”
16. Lower N & P,
Nutrient-rich Elevated DOC
water in water
ATS
triglycerides
Algae biomass biodiesel
Starches and
cellulose
Butanol
17. Biofuels: Investigation of Algal Turf at
Taylor Creek as Biodiesel feedstock
Gas chromatograph of algal turf oils (fatty acid methyl esters)
FID1 A, (E07423.660A0035730.D)
1.691
10.793
pA
18
13.953
7.534
16
• Analysis of algal turf ‘oil’
10.215
14
composition 12
10.486
– Fatty-acids are examined 10
13.822
8
using ‘FAME’ analysis; Gas
16.902
10.041 10.100
13.700
11.574
10.428
13.285
6
14.141
16.768
11.221
Chromatograph (FID)
11.072
4.463
20.289
10.966
10.326
13.085
19.848
4.945
14.699
10.639
10.716
8.513
12.791
13.569
9.768
8.227
7.279
7.013
4
– Results:
5 10 15 20
• Major oil components in
Temporal Dynamics of Fatty Acid Composition of Algal Turf (components
algal turf relatively stable > 5.0%)
over the three months 35
• Most fatty acids in C14-C18 30
FA composition percentage
range 25
• Often correspond to 20
March
April
common animal and 15
May
vegetable oils 10
• Need to further 5
characterize several peaks 0
14:0-Myristic acid Unknown (C12 16:1 w7c 16:0 (palmitic acid, 18:2 w6c (linoleic 18:1 w8c/18:3 w3c
alcohol?) palm oil) acid) (oleic, linolenic
acids)
• Small scale oil extraction
performed
– Initial, small scale extraction
methods successful at oil
isolation
– targeted oils were recovered
based on GC- ‘FAME’
analysis
18. Climate Benefits of ATS
• Uptake of atmospheric CO2 at 16-30
tons of C /ac/yr, or 60-110 tons of CO2
ac/yr Can be engineered to sequester
smokestack CO2 emissions
• Doesn’t require agro-industrial
fertilizers, and thus side-steps the
atmospheric/water pollution
consequences of oil production from
traditional agriculture
19. Water Quality Benefits of ATS
• Strips N & P from lakes, rivers and other
waterbodies from eutrophic to ppb
levels
• Removes heavy metals
• Breaks-down toxic organic compounds
• Supersaturates water with O2
• Creates conditions to increase
biodiversity
20. ATS: Biofuel Potential
• 1 acre produces 140kg
of dry biomass / day
• 10 - 50% diatoms
• Of this, 15-20gpd
biofuel can be
produced per acre
• Volatile solids average
45-55%
• 40% conversion,
biodiesel plus butanol
