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Sep 18, 2009 08:40 PM | 26
You really can drive across the country on algae--and a 700-pound battery pack--or so proved the crew behind the documentary Fuel . Embarking on September 8 and pulling into New York City today, just in time for the film's premiere, the Algaeus covered 3,750 miles.
"It got 147 miles per gallon in the city," says Fuel director Josh Tickell of the converted to plug-in Prius hybrid that he drove on a mix of battery power and algae fuel blended with conventional gasoline. The Algaeus did less well on the highway: 52 mpg, because of the lack of regenerative braking that recharges the battery, among other things.
The algae came from 22 acres of special ponds at Sapphire Energy's research and development facility in New Mexico, where local strains of the microscopic plant grow in vats of saltwater while being fed CO2 that would otherwise go into Coca-Cola and other fizzy drinks, according to Tim Zenk, a spokesman for Sapphire.
The company claims that its algae produce at least 30 percent by weight of oil and they delivered approximately five gallons of gasoline derived from their algal oil to prove it. Refined by Syntroleum in Louisiana, the algae gasoline behaved no differently in the car, according to the driving crew.
Of course, that's because the mix in the cylinder was roughly five percent algae-derived gasoline and 95 percent 91-octane premium gasoline. And with the addition of a second battery pack in the trunk, courtesy of Plug-In Conversions, the Algaeus could travel 25 miles on electricity alone (after six hours of charging).
In the 10-day journey, the crew did not manage to get rid of the new car smell, but they did manage to get some thumbs up—and break some speed limits—on the long trek. They also proved that algae fuel doesn't smell too much like a neglected swimming pool, although some of the unrefined oil can be redolent of the ocean, Zenk says.
"We really view it, not to sound grandiose, as an Apollo mission for algae and renewable fuel," says Fuel producer Rebecca Harrell, of the first cross-country trip on algae fuel and battery power.
Ultimately, the filmmakers hope to offer an insight into alternatives that are here today. After all Sapphire claims to get about 5,000 gallons of algal oil per acre of pond. The next step? Raising $1 billion to build a 10,000 barrel a day facility in New Mexico, Zenk says. "At that level, we can produce algal oil for $60 to $80 per barrel." Or roughly the cost of conventional oil today. And that might herald the real start of alternative fuels from algae.
Tags:
alternative fuels,
alternative cars,
algae,
fuel,
biofuel,
plug-in hybrid,
fossil fuel
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26 Comments
Add CommentI've read that the algae oil production systems are about as efficient as the corn ethanol debacle. Should have know that from who is pushing the method. There are much more efficient means like grasses and sugar cane that are by far cheaper.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe algae oil production plants are just as insanely expensive as the corn production operations pushed so hard by the Bush Crime Family.
I am always suspicious of anything pushed by Oil folks .
Oil folks are in the energy business, so why wouldn't they be experimenting with alternative energy forms? If you were a bakery that only made bread it only makes sense to try bagels and tortillas if donuts are going out of style. It seems any attempt to look at a renewable energy source is a step in the right direction. On the initial experimental level just about any new source of energy will be expensive simply because the infrastructure is not in place for delivery and production.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs an aside, I wonder if the CO2 levels would improve if only US consumers no longer drank soda?
This is really a great cross-country promotion for the movie. The Algaeus algae-fuel car uses 25 gallons of gasoline, with 5 percent from algae, or 1.25 gallons. The great mileage comes from plugging in and recharging the electric vehicle batteries, not using algae fuel. This is basically a Hypemobile that gets great media mileage but ranks very low in science, true PR and reputation building.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe compiled comments from many sources on our blog: http://bit.ly/weigs
I like that people are trying this, but projects like these have been over-hyped in the past. Even if they can sustain (without significant undesirable strain intrusion) 5,000 gallons of oil per acre (what period of time?), at reasonable expense, how many acres would it take to get enough REFINED product to replace even 25% of the national DAILY consumption of gasoline (378,000,000 gallons)? Scaling up is more often the problem than achieving smaller test batches.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTerry, that's an interesting question. I suspect it doesn't add up to much compared to what comes out of the typical American vehicle, and I would think it comes from a waste CO2 source that would've likely ended up in the atmosphere anyway.
It's carbon monoxide that hurts us not carbon dioxide found in soda.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe point of my post was Oil Thugs always pick the most expensive, highest oil usage methods, and knowingly make the exercise a waste---now can we put our bright caps on and guess why?
Science articles need to pass an "Honesty test" before they are published.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is all so complicated, it's hard to know what's the truth.
Frosty, it's true that carbon monoxide is more directly harmful/toxic to people. But carbon DIoxide is the primary persistent greenhouse gas linked with climate change acceleration. Presumably that's what Terry was alluding to.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRe: "less well on the highway: 52 mpg, because of the lack of regenerative braking that recharges the battery".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis gives the false impression that you save more energy the more often you brake.
In fact, electric vehicles are lucky to convert 90% of mechanical energy into electrivity during regenerative braking (and vice-versa when accelerating). This loses about 20% of the energy every time you brake.
The main energy loss on the highway is due to increased wind resistance at higher speeds.
[Of course, non-electric vehicles lose 100% of mechanical energy every time they brake, so the electric vehicle is still a lot more efficient.]
5% biofuel and 95 gas???? Why not just use a modified diesel and run it on 100% biofuel? You can run most diesels on vegetatble oil for God's sake!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSolar panel on the roof and a plug in Prius in the garage. Why was Prius introduced without the plug in option? Why do nerds have to pay thousands to convert to plug in when ex factory plug in would probably be hundreds?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is a solar panel on the 2010 Prius but it cant be used to charge the battery (something about producing too EM interference), just to keep the AC running on a hot summers day.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisElectric+small back-up generator is the only way to go. Zero emissions driving is a myth, all driving will always produce some emissions. The best we can do is minimize the output while making sure these cars are practice but still offer some advantage over ICEs (ie cheaper to run).
The bottom line is that people who dont care about the environment far far outnumber people who do. And if we cant make cars/fuels that are better than whats currently available its not gonna make any difference.
If you want to talk about efficiency have a look at the 2010 BMW 320d, 4.1L/100km and 0-60 in 8 seconds AND it can run on 100% algae biodiesel (you might have to change the hosing and gaskets though.....).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTom, Make that "4.1L/100km OR 0-60 in 8 seconds" ;-)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt doesn't matter,if less than 1% of the population, can afford to buy the technology.As for the carbon,the amount being released is the same as what is taken.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCould somebody explain me what is this article about -- about algae oil production or about modified plug-in Prius that can make 149 mpg in city?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf it is about Prius plug-in modification -- it is not a news at all.
If it is about algae oil, what is that buzz about mpgs?
Has anybody noticed that 5/95 mix is with "91-octane premium gasoline" when Prius can easily drive on 87-octane regular gas whose price is less then 95% of premium one?
And you call it scientific article???
haha well spotted Anne! Come on though we all do it, one of the few legal pleasures of life: Blowing someone off at the lights!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJack your right about the carbon but the point is its carbon coming from the atmosphere going back to the atmosphere rather than releasing more thats trapped as fossil fuels.
And finally guest, yeah this is a bullsh#t article, its just more Prius PR nonsense because all of a sudden its fashionable to care about the environnment
5%? seriously? come on, sciam, please stop accepting every single "green article", without even reading it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf it takes 22 acres of algae to supply 5% of fuel to a hybrid car also running on electricity, then I won't be investing in this technology yet.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTry running your car on biogas generated using biomass pyrolysis. The research group eprida, (www.eprida.com) can do this economically now, while at the same time sequestering CO2! This is where I am putting my money... And the market is of course new and colossal...
"We have infinite abundance of energy"... what the !&#*? This guy actually said that. Yeah, let's do whatever it takes to keep on living in our happy-motoring dream world and keep on like a steamroller running over the natural world; let's keep on building our suburban nightmare landscapes and our strip malls; let's keep on multiplying like rabbits!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"We have infinite abundance of energy"... what the !&#*? This guy actually said that. Yeah, let's do whatever it takes to keep on living in our happy-motoring dream world and keep on like a steamroller running over the natural world; let's keep on building our suburban nightmare landscapes and our strip malls; let's keep on multiplying like rabbits!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"We have infinite abundance of energy"... what the !&#*? This guy actually said that. Yeah, let's do whatever it takes to keep on living in our happy-motoring dream world and keep on like a steamroller running over the natural world; let's keep on building our suburban nightmare landscapes and our strip malls; let's keep on multiplying like rabbits!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSorry Tom O H. I ment a solar panel set up on the roof of the house and plug this into the car, this is pretty carbon neutral and effective in a place like Australia. You are however partly correct about people who care. Europe seems more aware and concerned. In Australia we are somewhat aware and concerned and will do our bit if the price is right and its not too hard to convert and mabey pushed a bit by legislation and price factors. (Its not like we cant see the change occuring, unheard of monster fires and worse to come, the Murry Darling river and irrigation system a totall dry disaster area after ten years of drought and just today the biggest "Tangerine Dream " dust storm you have ever seen. At 6am the world was bright orange surreal!) Cars however seem very emotive and competitive. If the law said we all had to have a small all electric car we would do it, but not by choice when most people have a big fancy ego or just a go car. Its less about technology than attitude.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe have got an infinite abundance of energy, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass etc. The problem is that its too expensive and/or difficult to exploit them, fossil fuels are cheap and practical
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou certainly right Zero, but the point is (and I hate to say this) peoples attitudes wont EVER change no matter what. Since the domestication of the horse transportation has been associated with status and Kings would pay the equivalent of millions for the best horses. Cars are the same, so are clothes and so are jewellery etc. These things never change.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPersonally I like cars and I like driving but I would never ever buy a Prius. Its butt ugly, the performance stinks for the price and so much of it is just a fashion statement. We can do much better.
If the motoring industry actually puts their heads and decides they want to make a real difference we might see some changes. Hats off to Chevy and Tesla motors, thats the direction we should be going.
I agree this article is all hype. If it's only 5% algae fuel it doesn't prove anything. I could probably add 5% of almost anything that won't hurt the engine and have my Prius work with slightly less efficiency. The fact that they use 91 octane outside of it means the algae fuel could be doing almost nothing (.95x91=86). I could add 5% impurities and get the same result!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDon't bash the prius now, if you don't get the added options (which have little to nothing to do with MPG), it's only $22K - many much less efficient cars cost more, and there isn't a more efficient gasoline hybrid out there. I can't say it's the greatest looking car on the road, but sure is better looking than a Scion, Hummer, HHR or (shudders) Smart Car.... should've called them dumb cars. A Prius can hold more people, is much roomier (even for the people in the back seat), has more storage, better efficiency and performs better, and doesn't cost that much more.
That being said, I was disappointed that the plug-in version is not available to the average consumer. You can buy a "fleet Prius" with a plug-in right now (own a business and buy 10 of the suckers, I guess) but they had announced a couple years ago they would make a consumer edition available in the 2009 model... then said 2010.... then fell through on that, only offering the fleet version for 2010. And they still haven't switched to Li-Ion batteries (Toyota hasn't figured out how to mitigate the fire hazard to meet safety standards I guess... that is one thing Chevy might have beat them on)
As for Tesla/Chevy... I like the concept of the Volt and think it would be a great addition to car choices - as an engineer, however, I fail to see how
gas combustion->mechanical motion(generator)->electricity(motor)->mechanical motion(wheels)
could be more efficient than properly designed (emphasis on properly designed... with poor design it is possible)
gas combustion->mechanical motion(wheels)
and once your plug in charge is over (i.e. when you're on the highway), I believe it will be less MPG efficient than the Prius - and let's not forget it costs more, too ($40K last I heard)
As far as performance, you ever put the pedal to the metal on the line in a Prius? Sure it won't beat a Beemer or Mustang or other sports/luxury car ... but it'll beat just about anything else on the road (of course, if you practice this you won't get that 50 MPG)
It's almost 2010 and I'm also sad to see car companies boasting about MPG ratings my 1983 Chevy Celebrity got (30MPG highway).
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