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One-minute algae: new source of oil?

Christian Science Monitor -- It looks like Mother Nature was wasting her time with a multimillion-year process to produce crude oil. Michigan Engineering researchers can "pressure-cook" algae for as little as a minute and transform an unprecedented 65 percent of the green slime into biocrude.
"We're trying to mimic the process in nature that forms crude oil with marine organisms," said Phil Savage, an Arthur F. Thurnau professor and a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Michigan

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Submitted Nov 13, 2012 By: BurntOrange

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blupupher Champion Author Houston Posts:3,695 Points:776,495 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 1:11:13 PM Ignore blupupher Report Abuse interesting stuff.
memo81 Champion Author St. Louis Posts:2,489 Points:472,200 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 8:56:42 AM Ignore memo81 Report Abuse This sounds like a good idea, but how much can they produce?
LilRedWagonIN Champion Author Indiana Posts:7,912 Points:1,581,110 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 7:24:52 AM Ignore LilRedWagonIN Report Abuse Yep. The question is volume. Something the size of this earth produced the oil. What's needed to produce algae oil in comparable/relative volumes?
afghaned Champion Author Hamilton Posts:11,990 Points:1,314,060 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 4:39:04 AM Ignore afghaned Report Abuse How much algea & how large a facility to replace even one oil well.
EVBuddy Champion Author Nevada Posts:16,835 Points:3,059,295 Joined:Sep 2004	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:30:52 AM Ignore EVBuddy Report Abuse Too soon to say
Dodge_Me Champion Author Atlanta Posts:2,214 Points:576,480 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:26:28 AM Ignore Dodge_Me Report Abuse If real, would be really cool
cssco Champion Author Virginia Posts:7,467 Points:1,779,225 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:21:06 AM Ignore cssco Report Abuse This one needs some work.
jetskijerry Champion Author North Carolina Posts:4,041 Points:800,945 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:15:13 AM Ignore jetskijerry Report Abuse Could be....
crreed1 Champion Author West Virginia Posts:2,105 Points:2,551,690 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:14:57 AM Ignore crreed1 Report Abuse ok
ican2step Champion Author Pittsburgh Posts:1,816 Points:453,375 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:11:31 AM Ignore ican2step Report Abuse Cool.
Blue_Cruzer Champion Author Lexington Posts:7,660 Points:1,697,285 Joined:Mar 2007	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:09:39 AM Ignore Blue_Cruzer Report Abuse Continue with the research.
pastorpaulcg Champion Author Virginia Posts:3,615 Points:775,785 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:09:28 AM Ignore pastorpaulcg Report Abuse Okay
N5EXY Champion Author Austin Posts:5,639 Points:1,538,005 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:08:35 AM Ignore N5EXY Report Abuse YeahBut - at what cost and how long does it take to produce the algae?
LostInNY Champion Author New York Posts:1,864 Points:676,495 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:08:18 AM Ignore LostInNY Report Abuse Start growing your pond scum!!
danreino Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:8,479 Points:1,565,485 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:08:18 AM Ignore danreino Report Abuse Whatever happened to the West Texas and New Mexico algae farms I heard about here last year that were supposed to save us ? ......drought in the desert, who woulda thunk it...
Aviator_Rob Champion Author New York Posts:3,992 Points:441,265 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:06:10 AM Ignore Aviator_Rob Report Abuse There's no free lunch here. Makes more sense to work on the efficiency of the internal combustion engine. Go farther on a gallon of gas.
Ray_10589 Champion Author New York Posts:5,086 Points:1,211,435 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:59 AM Ignore Ray_10589 Report Abuse good
skb69sa Champion Author San Antonio Posts:3,628 Points:739,075 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:38 AM Ignore skb69sa Report Abuse Sounds amazing.
PK33 Champion Author Ann Arbor Posts:1,454 Points:504,795 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:34 AM Ignore PK33 Report Abuse Let's see
pizzaman09 Champion Author Indiana Posts:1,463 Points:1,230,215 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:27 AM Ignore pizzaman09 Report Abuse BRING IT ON NOW!!!!!!
Killerbabydoll Champion Author Tucson Posts:1,355 Points:567,670 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:08 AM Ignore Killerbabydoll Report Abuse that sounds awsome
SteelPenny Champion Author Dallas Posts:31,303 Points:2,634,665 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:07 AM Ignore SteelPenny Report Abuse Whatever.
Ray_10589 Champion Author New York Posts:5,086 Points:1,211,435 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:05:00 AM Ignore Ray_10589 Report Abuse good ...
Geo4564 Champion Author Nevada Posts:7,069 Points:1,597,070 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:04:22 AM Ignore Geo4564 Report Abuse Slimemobile!!
CivicMA Champion Author Boston Posts:2,040 Points:563,470 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:04:22 AM Ignore CivicMA Report Abuse Interesting if it will work in the real world environment.
rahcat Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:2,700 Points:690,875 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:02:35 AM Ignore rahcat Report Abuse At what Cost?
joeschmo12 Champion Author New York Posts:1,108 Points:326,500 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Nov 14, 2012 12:02:00 AM Ignore joeschmo12 Report Abuse cool
crashintuc34 Champion Author Tucson Posts:4,193 Points:839,530 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:54:12 PM Ignore crashintuc34 Report Abuse Nifty.
FlyNFool Champion Author South Carolina Posts:8,384 Points:1,712,900 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:53:41 PM Ignore FlyNFool Report Abuse Nice!
ot4kidz Champion Author Cleveland Posts:1,565 Points:783,780 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:50:47 PM Ignore ot4kidz Report Abuse Old news...still hasn't made it out of the lab.
boatcrazyinme Champion Author Maine Posts:1,925 Points:552,860 Joined:Apr 2010	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:49:16 PM Ignore boatcrazyinme Report Abuse lets do more!
Dodge_Me Champion Author Atlanta Posts:2,214 Points:576,480 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:48:05 PM Ignore Dodge_Me Report Abuse Wow, gota love technology
PizzaMon Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:5,134 Points:1,886,455 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:46:04 PM Ignore PizzaMon Report Abuse Energy in: less energy out.
96sc1 Champion Author El Paso Posts:8,517 Points:1,367,440 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:42:09 PM Ignore 96sc1 Report Abuse Algae is still the best hope, in my opinion.
chuckhermann Champion Author New York Posts:1,027 Points:520,975 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:39:38 PM Ignore chuckhermann Report Abuse Forgot time room that the algae take several million years to grow to maturity...
SavALot Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:8,623 Points:1,739,410 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:39:18 PM Ignore SavALot Report Abuse All these new sources of oil and energy have got to pay off somehow
CCLighthouse Champion Author Hartford Posts:1,136 Points:239,675 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:37:36 PM Ignore CCLighthouse Report Abuse That was my first question Mstearno!
carpenter4u Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,476 Points:638,770 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:36:10 PM Ignore carpenter4u Report Abuse Poor Algae..... And I thought it was already Green
mackconsult Champion Author Portland Posts:5,374 Points:868,410 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:30:35 PM Ignore mackconsult Report Abuse Time will tell
mstearno Champion Author Dayton Posts:8,174 Points:1,755,920 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:30:23 PM Ignore mstearno Report Abuse pressure cook?? so what would it cost per gallon....$50 another OBAMA genius
bonzoonfmb Champion Author Florida Posts:1,817 Points:664,910 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:29:20 PM Ignore bonzoonfmb Report Abuse Get the technology viable and cost-effective soon.
WIWalt Champion Author Wisconsin Posts:1,857 Points:442,190 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:29:07 PM Ignore WIWalt Report Abuse Most likley cost more to produce than it is worth
jorod55 Champion Author California Posts:1,617 Points:459,425 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:28:34 PM Ignore jorod55 Report Abuse Old news. They have been doing this for several years now. Now they're trying to grow the algae faster.
cssco Champion Author Virginia Posts:7,467 Points:1,779,225 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:28:30 PM Ignore cssco Report Abuse This one needs some work.
vibdata Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:4,186 Points:867,210 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:22:27 PM Ignore vibdata Report Abuse Sure. Just take a pill and I guarantee you it will only take a minute. To make you THINK you have as much gas and oil as you would ever need.
Muskie78 Sophomore Author Ohio Posts:172 Points:39,500 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:19:32 PM Ignore Muskie78 Report Abuse Cool
hank1326 Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:9,045 Points:1,761,020 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:18:43 PM Ignore hank1326 Report Abuse Time will tell.
clermont40miles Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:10,759 Points:1,800,570 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:18:18 PM Ignore clermont40miles Report Abuse Surprisingly informative article. It says most of these biocrudes take much input of heat and pressure - that takes energy. It says further refining is needed - that takes energy. It says after refining you have much less of it - that means less energy is available in the finished product. Not very promising. Keep trying! Hard to beat natural processes. .
DEG Champion Author Las Vegas Posts:17,750 Points:3,520,455 Joined:Jul 2003	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:17:44 PM Ignore DEG Report Abuse Ok. So how soon can we make oil a renewable resource?
jdc17327 Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:2,582 Points:199,730 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Nov 13, 2012 11:14:46 PM Ignore jdc17327 Report Abuse interesting