I know it won't make money, but I want to build one for fun. I haven't decided on the type of algae to grow, or the design (bags, tubes...). It's going to be vertical as I only have a small deck off of my apartment. Anyone have any experience? I'm leaning towards 3 columns of acrylic tubing, pumping C02 in parallel up the tubes. What good sources could I use for C02? I've been wanting to brew some beer, but I haven't looked into how much C02 it actually puts off, and if it would be sufficient (or possibly just supplemental). I have no idea how I'd extract the fats, but id most likely be happy if I could just grow the stuff to begin with. Anythoughts?

[Edited on May 13, 2009 at 1:32 PM. Reason : Shit, messed up the title]

5/13/2009 1:30:10 PM

when i build my first house, i'm planning on installing one of these

are you looking at phytoplankton or moss or what? are you trying to produce biofuel or is this just for fun?

i found this little tutorial to be pretty helpful: http://www.inventgeek.com/Projects/photo-bio-reactor/overview.aspx

and, as always, instructables is good: http://www.instructables.com/id/An_Algae_Bioreactor_from_Recycled_Water_Bottles/

[Edited on May 13, 2009 at 1:47 PM. Reason : .]

5/13/2009 1:45:16 PM

^ I'd like to make bio diesel, but it would most likely be just for fun. I'm looking at phytoplankton.

Thanks for that first link, i haven't read it, but the picture is exactly what I had in mind.

5/13/2009 1:56:57 PM

Just ordered some airpumps and acrylic tubing

5/14/2009 12:28:43 AM

Some of my friends who just graduated in CHE did this for their senior design...as far as making a system to grow algae. Another group did a micro brewery for a local beer, and yet another did a trap grease biodiesel system.

So, what are you trying to develop? Something to grow algae/plankton using CO2, but how do you use that to make beer?

5/14/2009 12:36:54 AM

Quote :

"So, what are you trying to develop? Something to grow algae/plankton using CO2, but how do you use that to make beer?"

A byproduct of making beer is CO2. I think he means is there enough CO2 generated from the fermentation process to capture and use to grow algae.

5/14/2009 1:34:31 AM

Cue Solinari bitching about algae-farming not meeting his arbitrary/ill-defined criteria for inclusion in worthiness of Tech Talk discussion?

5/14/2009 7:21:04 AM

or you could shut the fuck up and stop trolling before he even bothers saying ANYTHING in this thread

5/14/2009 8:05:40 AM

^^^^

Yeah, i was asking if the brewing process released enough c02 that I could feed my algae with it. (what ^^^ said).

I have no clue what I'm doing, but it'll be fun. I think I'm going to set up three independent systems, each on 6 ft pipe, to test different algae strains. maybe a salt water, fresh water and hybrid strain.

pictures to come (in the distant future)

5/14/2009 10:45:10 AM

^^blow me, kthx

^ p.s. http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow-Your-Own-Bioluminescent-Algae/ -- not sure how much CO2 these sequester or if they're any good for biodiesel, but they sure look a lot cooler!

[Edited on May 14, 2009 at 10:48 AM. Reason : ^]

5/14/2009 10:47:55 AM

^ wow. One of the tubes will most definitely have to be that.

5/14/2009 11:02:31 AM

You could measure how much CO2 is produced by your beer process and then scale how much algae it could support. From my friend's abstract:

Quote :

"One proposed way to produce high-lipid algae is through the use of enclosed photobioreactors. Many forms of these photobioreactors exist, including helical, serpentine, manifold, vertical tubular, and flat. The proposed design is very similar to a manifold reactor. This design consists of three main sections used to grow algae – two tanks joined together by connecting pipes in middle. The total reactor volume of 25.38 gallons will be pumped through the reactor using an air-lift system. The reactor will be placed on a stand inclined from the horizontal so as to maximize light-contacting surface area."

Quote :

"Ultimately, scale-up calculations were performed on the proposed design to sequester 80 percent of the 300,000 tons of CO2 released annually from a coal power plant. At this sequestration rate, 98,965,608 kilograms of high lipid algae could be produced, requiring an approximate total reactor volume of 625,000 gallons. The algae would have a target lipid content of 60%, which would lead to an annual production of 51,544,588 liters of biodiesel per year. An economic analysis was also performed on the scale-up model, and the design to be economically profitable if the selling price of the final algal solution was over 20.74% that of crude oil. "

From when I saw the project, they had multiple acrylic tubes at a 45 degree angle, with two tanks on each end. I seem to remember that they bubbled up the CO2 from the bottom of the tank, but other than that I don't know.

5/14/2009 4:08:46 PM

Just got my pump in, starting off small. Its 18 watts and can supply air to 20 2 litre bottles. Going out to collect some local algae speicies tomorrow (along with mushroom hunting). Pictures to come

5/23/2009 12:41:50 AM

Got my baby reactor going to test algae strains. I can only test 4 even though i have 8 bottles because they are paired and some water leaks from the first to the second.

6/1/2009 12:36:34 AM

^ do the lid colors represent different strains? or is that just what you had lying around?

6/1/2009 6:58:03 AM

^ The second, hehe. Only one bottle has algae in it, a wild strain from the park. I want to order some, but need to read up on potential candidates. There is only, you know, 3,000 to choose from....

6/1/2009 10:53:40 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcp0lcdW6IE

It needs a lot of work: smaller bubbles, a reflecting sheet, some way to inject fertilizer, a c02 source. But right now it is a pleasant color and a soothing noise in my living room

6/1/2009 8:55:51 PM

New video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvnsMWnCaYk

I've got some algae growth. The container that you see growing the most has a contaminate strain of thread algae, so I'm going to have to kill that population. There are two other strains on the other side growing that you cant see, both are common types of green algae from local areas ( I want to make sure ive got this down before I order strains or risk contaminating the water around here)

Ive got it on timers to run for 18 hours a day, and now that I put the bubble stones it, its actually pretty quiet. I'm going to make a muffler for the exaust and it will be almost silent.

Im looking now for some electronic pH testers. Ideally I'd like to be able to monitor the pH and the fertilizer levels in real time (iron, nitrates, c02, etc). Thats a project in and of itself. I'm also working on plans for the actual reactor, but thats a ways off.

I think in 3 days or so I'll be able to harvest my first batch and start actual experimentation on processing the oil. fun!

6/10/2009 11:57:16 PM