Biodiesel from microalgae

[@GreenNeighbour]

Great video, David! Thanks so much for producing this terrific series. Keep up the great work!

[@lizzyskelton9791]

Hi David, I loved your video, very clear and easy to understand. I am an energy science student at Otago university in Dunedin and this has been very helpful for my next assignment. Just thought I'd let you know I have checked out your profile you linked to on your account and it looks like you've been doing some awesome work. Thanks heaps for the video, I am excited to watch more!

[@sachinthamarasinghe1188]

Simple but informative vedio.❤

[@rennard968]

we need to fill the water in raceway pond oftenly right? Because the water will be evaporated pretty quickly

[@davidt.kearns3200]

Yes that's right. Having access to a nearby supply of water is essential for this reason

[@ajmaeenmahtab8456]

How do you solve the oxidation issue with Biodiesel. Can you reduce the oxidation of Biodiesel completely.

[@davidt.kearns3200]

Great question. Biodiesel oxidative degradation is mainly due to unsaturated fatty acids. This is made worse if stored at higher temperatures, and obviously the presence of oxygen in the air is a contributor. Exposure to sunlight also accelerates oxidative degradation. Prevention measures can include excluding oxygen from the storage tank (e.g. nitrogen blanketing), the addition of oxidation inhibitors, and minimising excessive inventories of the biodiesel (which reduces average storage time, reducing the amount of oxidation that occurs).

[@blessedsam1256]

Thanks so much for the video. Currently am doing a research of biodiesel production using microalgae as a biomass Fortunately, I came across your video. Thanks

[@colbylacy8651]

Hi, I find myself in the same boat. What did you specifically test with your research? I’ve been struggling to choose what specific aspect of the process to research.

[@Caffein780]

Is it possible to use the same or similar catalyst molecules to crack this bi oil to make gas ??

[@011981joe]

cheers David, great vid

[@authorlukegracias1134]

Where are you based David? Do you know of any of the proposed biorefineries which offer transesterification in Australia?

[@davidt.kearns3200]

I’m based in Melbourne. You can find quite a few biodiesel manufacturers in Australia with a google search, though as far as I’m aware none uses microalgae as a feedstock for commercial production. There are research projects happening though

[@authorlukegracias1134]

@@davidt.kearns3200 working with a couple of potential algae to biofuels projects coming here.Are you on linked in?

[@davidt.kearns3200]

@@authorlukegracias1134 yes I am. Just look me up under David T. Kearns in Melbourne

[@mayonairi]

what catalysts can i use for the conversion?

[@matildastanford7019]

Potassium Hydroxide is the best but Sodium Hydroxide will work as well. Typically KOH is mixed into Methanol (or ethanol) which then has the oil at approx 65°c added into reaction vessel. After mixing that and left to separate / settle for 24hrs the glycerol is gently (with a tap at bottom of reaction vessel) removed leaving biodiesel in vessel for washing with water (removed same way as glycerol) *btw the methanol can be distilled out of glycerol solution to reclaim it, the leftover glycerine can also be used. A good youtube chanmel to demonstrate this process is Robert Murray Smith.

[@UberWagen]

This is for biodiesel. From what I understand, you can use the biomass to extract glucose and ferment them via ABE fermentation to refine into butanol which can replace gasoline. Is that correct?

[@rodelenz8114]

Exactly. Fermentation of the algae biomass with certain yeasts could yield bioethanol. This is another form of biofuel.

[@swen6797]

​@@rodelenz8114 can gasoline engines run 100% bioethanol?

[@rodelenz8114]

@@swen6797 I don't think so, from what I read about Brazil, they have engines that can run a blend of bioethanol and gasoline. They also have engines that can run on bioethanol.

[@swen6797]

@@rodelenz8114 so what about the butanol question?

[@rodelenz8114]

@@swen6797 I think it is similar, there are specific engine modifications that must be made for a "regular petrol engine" to burn bio butanol. Or biobutanol can be blended with regular gasoline and fed to the engine. My thought process is that, when cars were/are developed, the manufacturer has a particular fuel in mind, and they design the engines in that manner. Except the car manufacturers consiously plan for the use of more than one type of fuel, and they then make their engines capable of burning more than one type of fuel. (For example, petrol and bioethanol/butanol).

[@ekbergiw]

Glycerin can bond with three fatty tails at its alcohol groups. A triglyceride is a glycerin with all three of those groups bonded with one of those tails

[@niranjanswain2248]

Please make a video on oil extraction process which is very important to make biodiesel from algae

[@IsmailAhmed]

Very well explained.

[@tomjcarty]

What quantities of oil can come from what KG of algae, and how many M2 / m3 of algae is needed to make that amount of algae?

[@matongeh3419]

that's fascinating, thank you for clarifying this topic

[@PwVp]

fantastically explained!! Thanks...❤❤❤

[@PARI_SONGS]

Awesome explained David....good wishes to u🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@angelcarrillo2411]

GREAT JOB! Loved the way you made it so simple to understand. Make more videos!!!

[@pranjalisingh9790]

Very informative. Thank you

[@tobioguntunde8614]

Awesome

[@phillipstarr4582]

Wow that was really good man. Thanks.

[@fungus6million]

What is the price of 1L of diesel in AU now?

[@josephbXIX]

U dont get a "green" product and compete by price, u find a niche. But still, best explanatuon i found, thank you.

[@colbylacy8651]

This is the unfortunate truth. As I’ve progressed in my chemical engineering degree I’ve found that there are green ways to do almost everything, the problem is creating a product or process that is cheap enough to compete with the status quo. While I think it’s extremely important to continue researching these things (hence my career choice), I also recognize that at some point we’re just gonna have to bite the bullet that sustainable alternatives are generally more expensive than finite resources. Fossil fuel products are everywhere though…. It’s hard to find a niche when your competitor has uses in literally every aspect of life. For example, I am currently doing research on bio based surfactants for use in detergents, but frankly the synthetic surfactants just work better (relation being that the hydrocarbons needed to make surfactants and polymers exist naturally, or can be synthesized from biomass, but it’s just much simpler to use petroleum products)

[@jaishankar8740]

How to production biodiesel from rhodotorula glutins. Can u explain the method

[@maleeshawarnasooriya5336]

Well explained! Thanks a lot for all your efforts and looking forward for more greater videos from you. Regards from Sri Lanka🇱🇰

[@akshayharsule1022]

Can you please tell me which species of algae is useful and what will the production rate of algae in photo bioreactor?

[@vaggs75]

You can use spirulina. But it needs to be fed with KNO3 because it produces a lot of proteins.

[@vvpsaikalyan320]

Sir, I have watched a couple of your videos. I feel that you really have a knack for simplifying things. I decided to watch all of them. Hope to see more of your videos coming in the future too!

[@joaquimkeloglanian4801]

I wish you had included more numbers, such as the cost of dewatering or cultivation. Great video nonetheless!

[@adben]

Well explained.. thanks

[@anekamulgund384]

This is an incredible video!! You did a great job explaining a complex process in an understandable way. Let me know what you think about my video on making a wind turbine if you'd like as well!

[@lucassell1361]

great video, thanks

[@abidineraslan9938]

Hocam merhabalar bende yosun yetiştirmek istiyorum bu konu ile ilgili nerden bilgi alabilirim şimdiden çok teşekkür ederim kolay gelsin

[@naasikhendricks1501]

UF system is the best. Methanol is not a catalyst.

[@thegamechanger7157]

Yeah this ideal for carbon, we diversify it.. Any many things