A leading Los Angeles bio-fuel company has recently filed numerous patents for unique processes developed for the mass production of photo-synthetic micro-algae cultivation and oil extraction. Previously discarded as impossible to reproduce on an industrialized commercial scale, these latest technologies appear scale-able and if proven could revolutionise the bio-fuels market.
Micro-algae is proven to produce 100’s of times more oil per acre than soybeans - currently the U.S leading biodiesel source - and like its other green relatives only requires water, sunlight and CO2 to grow. Not only does micro-algae produce far more oil per acre, and ABSORB CO2 during its growth (making it carbon-neutral once burnt in combustion engines), it also grows very fast - doubling in volume every few hours under the right conditions.
With the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2007, the US is required to quadruple its biofuel production to 36 bn gallons by 2022, less than half of which can come from corn-based ethanol. With an agricultural land-war occurring and resultant surging food prices, Origin Oil’s timing is crucial and their technological advances could make history.
So what have Origin Oil done that no scientists before could? Several important things; Firstly, using a technique they call “Quantum Fracturing”, they create a slurry of micron-sized water, CO2 and nutrient particles which can then be introduced to the algae in a low-pressure environment without disrupting it. The pressure differential and also the micron-sized bubbles ensure a very high absorption rate and a much greater volume of hydrocarbons are produced. Secondly the “Quantum Fractured” CO2 slurry is introduced in the “Helix BioReactor”, a rotating vertical shaft that maximises the algae growth by carefully positioning low energy lights in a helix spiral, essentially multi-layering the growth layers. Thirdly, as algae grows exponentially through cell division, 10% of the algae produced is in effect “recycled” back in to the Helix BioReactor to ensure swift continuation of the growth-phase of the next batch. Finally, whereas oil extraction has previously been costly and energy-intensive, Origin Oil this time “fracture” the algae cells using pulsed electromagnetic fields to “crack” the algae membrane, then allowing gravity to take effect and release the oil. To see the amazing separation in action over a 1 hour time period, visit and watch the extraordinary process at www.originoil.com
