The combination of a 100% increase in diesel fuel prices since 2002 and a new photobioreactor technology has renewed interest in producing biodiesel, a direct petroleum diesel fuel substitute, from microalgae. A new photobioreactor technology in which the microalgae are grown on vertically suspended membranes promises to increase algal productivity per acre ten-fold compared to microalgae ponds, and 400-fold compared to soybeans. This paper describes the general photobioreactor concept and assesses the economic viability of such technology given the current crude oil prospects. The majority of the data necessary for assessment are obtained from published articles, with experimental results providing the remaining necessary information. Analysis results indicate that the photobioreactor would need to be constructed and operate on the order of dollars per square foot per year.
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ASME 2007 Energy Sustainability Conference
July 27–30, 2007
Long Beach, California, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Solar Energy Division and Advanced Energy Systems Division
ISBN:
0-7918-4797-7
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Economic Analysis of a Vertical Sheet Algal Photobioreactor for Biodiesel Production Available to Purchase
Peter E. Zemke,
Peter E. Zemke
Utah State University, Logan, UT
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Byard D. Wood,
Byard D. Wood
Utah State University, Logan, UT
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Daniel J. Dye,
Daniel J. Dye
Utah State University, Logan, UT
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David J. Bayless,
David J. Bayless
Ohio University, Athens, OH
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Jeff D. Muhs
Jeff D. Muhs
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
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Peter E. Zemke
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Byard D. Wood
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Daniel J. Dye
Utah State University, Logan, UT
David J. Bayless
Ohio University, Athens, OH
Jeff D. Muhs
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
Paper No:
ES2007-36055, pp. 815-820; 6 pages
Published Online:
February 24, 2009
Citation
Zemke, PE, Wood, BD, Dye, DJ, Bayless, DJ, & Muhs, JD. "Economic Analysis of a Vertical Sheet Algal Photobioreactor for Biodiesel Production." Proceedings of the ASME 2007 Energy Sustainability Conference. ASME 2007 Energy Sustainability Conference. Long Beach, California, USA. July 27–30, 2007. pp. 815-820. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/ES2007-36055
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