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How to Grow Algae Vertically for Fuel

In 1978, the United States Department of Energy began studying algae as an alternative to fossil fuel, reports Marsha Walton at CNN. Their plan was to mass-produce algae, then refine it into an inexpensive fuel alternative. Producing enough algae to replace crude oil using traditional pond-growing systems is difficult, as algae grows easily on water surfaces but cannot get enough sunlight to grow properly if other algae grows on top of it. To combat this problem, scientists invented a vertical method of growing algae. Growers place algae and water in large plastic bags and hang the bags from a frame to ensure that all the algae are exposed to the sun at all times.

Things You'll Need

Algae
Liquid fertilizer
Water
Wooden or metal support structure
Large, clear plastic bags
Hooks
Catalyst

Instructions

- 1
  Pick the type of algae you want to grow. Find out which algae grow best in your climate since certain algae will grow faster than others, while other varieties produce better oil. Choose from one of the 60,000 strains of algae.
- 2
  Set up a large wooden rack, strong enough to bear the weight of algae, nutrients and water. Some growing structures resemble outdoor clothes-drying racks, with wooden beams instead of a clothesline at the top. Purchase a structure at a "green" website; alternatively, make one at home.
- 3
  Put a small amount of algae in large, clear plastic bags, or clear plastic tubes. Fill the bags or tubes with water.
- 4
  Hang the bags on the support structure vertically to allow the sun to penetrate through every area of algae. Photosynthesis begins and converts carbon dioxide into sugar. Sugar is converted into lipids, according to "Esquire."
- 5
  Squeeze out the oil after the cells have metabolized. Use a process similar to squeezing olives, in which you physically squeeze out the oil from the algae by hand. Use leftover algae for other products like animal feed. A number of ways exist to extract algae, but small-scale production of bio-diesel, drying the algae and hand-squeezing the oil is labor-intensive, according to "Live Science"; however, the method is effective.
- 6
  Use a catalyst, a compound that aides the conversion of oil into bio-diesel to remove oxygen from the oil. Liquid catalysts are often used when making algae-based fuel. The type of catalyst used will depend on the algae used and the amount of oil being converted, according to "Live Science." Solid catalysts are not changed as often as liquid catalysts. Oxygen is replaced with hydrogen molecules, and the replacement of oxygen with hydrogen creates diesel fuel.

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