HHO BLASTER
04-29-2009, 12:22 PM
http://betterbiofuel.asu.edu/
Biodesign Project: Tubes in the Desert
Biodesign has some good news for the planet and consumers.
There may be a better biofuel on the horizon: bacteria-based biofuel.
ASU researchers are optimizing tiny, photosynthetic bacteria to produce a sustainable, high-yield fuel that can be used in
conventional engines.
The bacteria are grown in transparent tubes that could be constructed virtually anywhere there is sufficient sunlight. The
deserts of the American Southwest are ideal for this purpose, and so the project is called Tubes in the Desert.
Bacteria-based biofuel offers distinct benefits:
Higher yield per acre; an estimated hundred-fold increase over current biofuels. The reason: bacteria double in number and
thus total weight every 24-48 hours - faster than any plant can grow.
Does not require arable land; tube "crops" can be located anywhere there is sunlight
Does not compete with food or commodity crops
Requires less water than plant-based biofuels
Does not require fertilizer, so eliminates soil depletion/contamination concerns
Has a simpler genetic structure than plants, resulting in more more fuel and less waste
Allows less costly processing
Is carbon-neutral. Like a plant, the bacteria use carbon dioxide for growth
Can be located in urban as well as rural areas, reducing transportation costs and associated environmental impact
The first phase of the project was funded in part by Science Foundation Arizona. This two-year effort resulted in significant
advances in identifying new strains of photosynthetic bacteria with high-yield potential, and included the design and
construction of a sophisticated photobioreactor system to optimize growth. The photobioreactor, housed on a rooftop at
ASU's Tempe campus, has mathematical modeling tools applied for systems analysis and is the first step in exploring the
industrial scale feasibility of this approach.
The next phase of the project will be construction of a 2.5-acre field-scale system located near a local power plant.
Funding for construction is currently being sought. The location will provide a secure site and will enable engineering
assessment of the photobioreactor system using flue gas and water recycled from the power plant for producing the
bacterial biomass. We anticipate this second phase to validate readiness for commercialization, and--in collaboration with
industry partners--create a setting in which dramatic advances can be realized in a relatively short time.
Biodesign Project: Tubes in the Desert
Biodesign has some good news for the planet and consumers.
There may be a better biofuel on the horizon: bacteria-based biofuel.
ASU researchers are optimizing tiny, photosynthetic bacteria to produce a sustainable, high-yield fuel that can be used in
conventional engines.
The bacteria are grown in transparent tubes that could be constructed virtually anywhere there is sufficient sunlight. The
deserts of the American Southwest are ideal for this purpose, and so the project is called Tubes in the Desert.
Bacteria-based biofuel offers distinct benefits:
Higher yield per acre; an estimated hundred-fold increase over current biofuels. The reason: bacteria double in number and
thus total weight every 24-48 hours - faster than any plant can grow.
Does not require arable land; tube "crops" can be located anywhere there is sunlight
Does not compete with food or commodity crops
Requires less water than plant-based biofuels
Does not require fertilizer, so eliminates soil depletion/contamination concerns
Has a simpler genetic structure than plants, resulting in more more fuel and less waste
Allows less costly processing
Is carbon-neutral. Like a plant, the bacteria use carbon dioxide for growth
Can be located in urban as well as rural areas, reducing transportation costs and associated environmental impact
The first phase of the project was funded in part by Science Foundation Arizona. This two-year effort resulted in significant
advances in identifying new strains of photosynthetic bacteria with high-yield potential, and included the design and
construction of a sophisticated photobioreactor system to optimize growth. The photobioreactor, housed on a rooftop at
ASU's Tempe campus, has mathematical modeling tools applied for systems analysis and is the first step in exploring the
industrial scale feasibility of this approach.
The next phase of the project will be construction of a 2.5-acre field-scale system located near a local power plant.
Funding for construction is currently being sought. The location will provide a secure site and will enable engineering
assessment of the photobioreactor system using flue gas and water recycled from the power plant for producing the
bacterial biomass. We anticipate this second phase to validate readiness for commercialization, and--in collaboration with
industry partners--create a setting in which dramatic advances can be realized in a relatively short time.