Turn algae into cheap fuels

Two American scientists Riggs Eckellberry and Nicholas Eckellberry have just announced a low-cost machine model to convert algae that are abundant in nature into useful energy for humans.

The Eckellberry brothers are OriginOil co-founders based in Los Angeles. The company is racing against hundreds of other competitors to find a low-cost method of cultivating algae and collecting energy. The advantage of algae material is that it does not take up soil and water as another source of biomass for example corn.

OriginOil is hoping that in the next few years, their method with the small algae tanks in the lab will be used in practice around the world with 2,500 gallon tanks (9,460 liters). Bio-oil extracted from algae in these tanks in many cases can replace oil.

The green energy company OriginOil was born in June 2007 with Riggs Eckelberry as the chief, principal inventor Nicholas Eckelberry and recently recruited Vikram Pattarkine as chief technology officer. Helix BioReactor Helix BioReactor acts as a brewery, promoting the growth of algae to produce energy.

Helix BioReactor was announced in February 2008 and OriginOil is planning to work with partners in practice in early 2010. The company's ambition is to create a method of algae culture, then transfer technology. build a machine that does it for partners.

The Helix BioReactor consists of a central air vent that is sized depending on the volume of the tank. This core will rotate clockwise and use low energy light to stimulate algae growth around. The oil is then extracted from the cells of this organism by a microchemical process without chemicals. In the natural environment, algae only grows on the surface with light.

The use of algae stimulator to produce biofuels has both created energy and cleaned the environment. Each algae is like a tiny biological plant that uses photosynthesis to convert CO2 and light into energy. During photosynthesis, algae also produce oil and diesel engines can burn algae oil directly.

Riggs Eckelberry (left) and Nicholas Eckelberry are introducing the machine model Helix BioReactor.Photo: Reuters.

Nicholas Eckellberry instructed how to operate Helix BioReactor in OriginOil's laboratory. Photo: Reuters.

Nicholas stood next to two experimental barrels collecting energy from algae. Photo: Reuters.