Skip a few million years of fossilized algae...

[jeff88]

Even if there is more energy waste, in the long run isn't it better from an eco-friendly stand point to not be mining and drilling for stuff we can make in a greenhouse? And with economies of scale and technology development, wouldn't that 'waste' energy either be utilized or eliminated/reduced? Even if it is more wasteful in energy, at least there is a cycle. With dinosaur oil, there is no cycle. Just drill and burn, no return, no re-growth.

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Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Actually, those "un-attended" foreclosed homes belong to the banks, who are thus responsible for conditions and public safety.

Banks... public safety? Bahahahah!

[101Volts]

I find this amazing. Gee I wonder if I can do the same thing in the kitchen?

(Oh, No quote button?)

"...The system runs at around 350 degrees Celsius (662 degrees Fahrenheit) at a pressure of around 3,000 PSI..."

Well I guess the pressure cooker is out.

And then comes up the subject of Solar; It's nice but expensive I hear. I think using solar (Once paid for) would override a lot of the waste. Fewer oil spills in the oceans, More birds and fish, Etc... Happy days.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

You haven't seen many stagnant home swimming pools during the summer months, have you? We got LOTs of foreclosed homes growing algae scum like mad here in Tucson!

But how much actual algae is in one swimming pool? My guess would be that if you filtered the algae from a green pool and squeezed out the water, you might have a few quarts at best. Then it takes weeks to grow another crop...

[gone-ot]

Weeks? Nope, during our LONG HOT summer days, probably only hours for regrowth to begin, with a full pond scum in days!

That stuff is ALIVE ! ! !

[RustyLugNut]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Weeks? Nope, during our LONG HOT summer days, probably only hours for regrowth to begin, with a full pond scum in days!

That stuff is ALIVE ! ! !

Yes, pun intended. And Old Tele is right, the stuff can grow quite rapidly given the right conditions. It may seem futile to be growing the stuff in ones backyard if only a few liters of oil per day are the result, but many parameter changes can accelerate that.

The choice of algae is a good starting point. Some naturally occurring algae approach 50% body weight in oil and live in salty environments and reproduce on a rapid time scale. Lab engineered varieties exceed these specifications.

Another is CO2 content. Basing these farms near polluting sources such as power plants and industries that produce CO2 provide a form of emissions cleanup and recycle the CO2 with some of it becoming removed from the carbon loop.

Municipality waste effluence can provide the rich nutrients as well as help in the cleanup of the effluence water stream.

Light concentrators as well as continuous harvesting to keep the shadow effect to a minimum will be needed.

Add that all up and your swimming pool sized algae pond can produce 10's of liters of oil per day with 10's of kilograms of high protein solids.

Of course, this is an ideal. Reality shows a long hard road to work through.

[botsapper]

Like the idea that the algae farms could be CO2 scrubbers and municipal waste converters. The industrial-scale huge ponds of them may need to glass-covered to prevent medium evaporation, help in mosquito abatement and seal any unfriendly effluence/odors, built right along side of solar electric plants in the Southwest.

[jeff88]

Originally Posted by botsapper

Like the idea that the algae farms could be CO2 scrubbers and municipal waste converters. The industrial-scale huge ponds of them may need to glass-covered to prevent medium evaporation, help in mosquito abatement and seal any unfriendly effluence/odors, built right along side of solar electric plants in the Southwest.

Add to that... They could also be built along side of garbage dumps where they are capturing Methane. When the methane is burned, the exhaust CO2 can be used for the algae.

[freebeard]

It sounds like dense thermal depolymerization. If so, the trick is to remove the water with the minimum of added energy.

Thermal depolymerization: the cure for our oil and pollution problems. - Ars Technica OpenForum

Here's a website that is pertinent:
http://http://www.oilgae.com/

"Oilgae". Get it?

[botsapper]

...and use genetic engineering technologies to isolate and select homologous recombinations to create superfast growing, most efficient CO2-consuming, and the densest chloroplast-laden 'oilgae'.

Oh Oh a boogey thing, an industrial-strength GMO!

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by freebeard

It sounds like dense thermal depolymerization. If so, the trick is to remove the water with the minimum of added energy.

"Oilgae". Get it?

That's (again) when HOT SUMMER comes to the rescue: dessicating solar evaporation!