Overview of the DOE/SERI aquatic species program: FY 1986
The goals of the Aquatic Species Program are to develop the technology to produce gasoline and diesel fuels from microalgae grown in saline waters of the desert Southwest. Microalgae are known to accumulate lipids in large quantities and can thrive in high salinity water, which currently has no other significant use. Three major task areas are important to the economical development of this technology: biology, engineering, and analysis. Biological activities include screening, characterizing, and improving microalgae species. More than 3000 microalgae strains have been collected to date. A current problem is that salinity- and temperature-tolerant species do not always have high productivity and produce large amounts of lipid. Therefore, basic research is underway in genetic engineering to put all three characteristics into one or two strains. Engineering research focused on polymer harvesting of microalgae. All algae were harvestable but required different polymers. We performed a technical and economic analysis of a microalgae fuel production system and published it in the report entitled Fuels from Microalgae. 35 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-83CH10093
- OSTI ID:
- 6616636
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/SP-231-3072; ON: DE87001148
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
FY 1987 Aquatic Species Program: Annual report
SERI Aquatic Species Program 1984 annual report
Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
LIPIDS
PRODUCTION
UNICELLULAR ALGAE
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
HARVESTING
FEDERAL REGION VI
GENETIC ENGINEERING
LAKES
PONDS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
ALGAE
MICROORGANISMS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
140504* - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)
550700 - Microbiology