Could algae one day replace crude oil as the raw material for what goes into our gas tanks?
Could algae one day replace crude oil as the raw material for what goes into our gas tanks? The answer depends, in large part, on economics.
One method for converting algae to biocrude—a process called hydrothermal liquefaction—is showing promise in laboratories. But uncertainties remain about just how much biocrude the technique might yield, and whether that fuel could compete on price with conventional ones at the pump.
Researchers at PNNL have developed a model that predicts outcomes from the algae HTL process in a way that mirrors commercial reality much more closely than previous analyses.
"Similar studies on algae HTL yields have been done, but they were based on lab benchtop experiments," said Yuan Jiang, a chemical engineer at PNNL and a lead author of the paper. "Those configurations are quite different from a commercial-scale plant."
Read more at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
