Bobby,
One might well wonder what it means to be trying to develop ways to grow algae and extract oil, if you don't know the basics of the organisms with which you are working.
cyanobacteria are indeed bacteria, of types that go back to the beginnings of life, about 3 Billion years ago. One of the things tax payers get for their money is gene sequencing of various strains of the bacteria, which makes it possible to modify them genetically to adapt them to different feed stocks and make them produce different kinds of oil.
History is full of inventions, discoveries and innovations done by amateurs doing what "professionals" said couldn't be done. So best of luck to you and your group and I sincerely hope that you make a breakthrough.
But also be careful. History reminds us that Marie Curie both discovered Radium and died horribly from cancer caused by radiation exposure. And Walter ... [something]... was a great medical scientist who worked on tropical diseases, and eventually died from the Yellow Fever that he was trying to save our troops from. He got his name on our national medical reseach center, but died anyway.
Cyanobacteria are responsible for some of those huge algae blooms that erupt on the oceans from time to time, and kill millions of fish and mammals in the oceans. They kill because they generate cytotoxins. Be careful when working with them.
Tom: '81 300SD; 360,+++ mi.
In a message dated 7/16/2012 8:52:47 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, liberty1@gmail.com writes:
Tom,
Thanks for the opening for a plug.
There are a few thousand of us who are trying to develop ways to grow algae and extract oil.
We are now making small progress toward an open source solution, but have not cost the taxpayers millions.
Some of the algae are called cyanobacteria. I am not a microbiologist so I don't know whether they are bacteria or not.
Everyone is invited to join us here:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oil_from_algae/join>
Bobby
Bobby
On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 11:22 AM,
<audiolaw@aol.com> wrote:
I think a lot of this forum is guys who are old enough to "know" that them damn Japs couldn't make anything but crap. That's what we were taught back in the 50s and early 60s. Their crap would never amount to anything decent.
I hear a lot of the same talk about stuff made in China today.
It seems to me that focus on the instant present may distract us from noticing the actual progress of technology, quality control and other things.
For years, people have been talking about the possibility that petroleum alternatives might be generated using biology, by culturing bacteria or other organisms that produce oils. For just as long, people have been 'knowing' that such processes can't really work, or would be too expensive, or other explanations for dismissing the technology.
Now it seems that one of the companies pursuing such processes has quielty just moved ahead with the technology. Like the Japanese and the Chinese, the company is developing its technology, improving its production facilities and actually delivering product. For right now, the company is cranking out oils that are essential to the perfume industry and other small consumers, rather than gasoline or diesel. But it's a start. They now have a contract with the Pentagon for experimental fuel oil production.
The company still loses money. But it seems just possible that it (and probably others) are on track to develop processes to use a variety of feed stocks for production, not just WVO, sugar cane and other commonly discussed stocks. If they succeed, then we get diesel without the friction contaminants and without the glycerin and other clogging contaminants.
(Full disclosure, the company is Solazyme and I am an investor in it. So my enthusiasm may be shaded by that.)
Tom
In a message dated 7/16/2012 5:58:08 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
vwnate1@yahoo.com writes:
Although it is possible to neutralize the acidic content of WMO , I personally do not believe it's possible to get all the abrasives out and every single WMO engine I've seen , has at the very least , badly worn out injector nozzles and smokes badly after 10,000 miles or so .
I think the primary fault in alternative fuels is the time and effort .
Surely I looked into them a fair bit when Dino Diesel reached $5.00 the gallon ! . -ouch- .
When they (the big , scary THEM) decide it's in their interest to make bio or veggie fuels , I have no doubt they'll do so in mass quantities but for now , only the die hards will get to $ave $eriou$ $ on alternate fuels .
Sad to be sure but them's the facts , jack .
-Nate
Bobby wrote:
>
> Nate,
>
> I agree totally that if someone wants a trouble free car, they should not
> experiment with unorthodox fuels.
>
> If someone wants to experiment with unorthodox fuels, the best engine to
> use is our favorite MB.
>
> Sorry I didn't comment on the Ws.
>
> Waste Vegetable Oil must be filtered or centrifuged or allowed to settle or
> a combination. It can then be used as SVO or used as a feedstock for
> making biodiesel.
>
> There is only enough WVO available in the USA to replace about 1/8 of
> current diesel usage, so it could help our energy needs, but not enough to
> totally solve them.
>
> I have not seen a plan for using Waste Motor Oil that I have confidence
> in. Some people have attempted to blend it with gasoline and some of those
> have had disastrous results. I believe if it were well filtered, it could
> be treated as SVO. but have no proof.
>
> I don't know what volume of WMO is available, but would assume it is
> similar to WVO - enough to make some difference, but not enough to single
> handidly solve our energy problems.
>
> Both of these do provide an opportunity to use a waste product for energy.
> If someone is looking for an extreme cost cutter, they are possibilities.
>
> Nate, you are correct, if someone wants a trouble free MB, he should stick
> with dino diesel plus a little bio diesel.
>
> Bobby
>
>
--
Toward freedom,
Bobby Yates Emory
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