Aquatic Species Program review: proceedings of principal investigators meeting

Conference · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5324325

The purpose of the Aquatic Species Program is to improve the productivity, conversion to fuels, and cost efficiency of aquatic plant culture technologies. The emphasis of the program is on developing a mass culture technology for cultivating oil-yielding microalgae in the American southwest. A technical and economic analysis indicated that such a concept would be feasible if (1) lipid yields from microalgae are improved, (2) there is sufficient saline water for large-scale development, and (3) microalgal lipids can be economically converted to conventional fuels. It was determined that fuels from microalgal lipids presented better options than converting the microalgal biomass to either alcohols or methane. All lipids can potentially be catalytically converted to gasoline, or the fatty acids can be converted to substitute diesel fuels. The Southwest has the necessary low, flat, underutilized lands, and carbon dioxide is available from either natural deposits or flue gas from industrial plants. The amount of saline water available will probably determine how much fuel can be produced from aquatic species, and this question should be answered during 1985. The largest constraint of this technology is the economical production of an oil-rich microalgal feedstock. The agenda for the review was divided into four sections: species selection and characterization, applied physiological studies, outdoor mass cultivation, and systems design and analysis. Papers from these presentations are included in these proceedings. Program advances were reported in the areas of species collection and selection, modulated light physiology, mass culture yields, harvesting of microalgae, mass culture facility design and analysis, and assessments on fuel options from microalgae. Separate abstracts have been prepared for each paper for inclusion in the Energy Data Base.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 5324325
• Report Number(s): SERI/CP-231-2700; CONF-8503158-; ON: DE85012137
• Resource Relation: Conference: SERI aquatic species review - principal investigators meeting, Golden, CO, USA, 20 Mar 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
ALGAE
AQUACULTURE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ARID LANDS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
HYDROCARBONS
LAND USE
LEADING ABSTRACT
LIPIDS
SEAWATER
ABSTRACTS
DOCUMENT TYPES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
SYNTHESIS
WATER
biomass
microalgae
lipids
liquid fuels
chemicals
alternative fuels
140504* - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)