Making Biodiesel Fuel: Growing the Algae

Biodiesel fuel is something that you can easily make yourself at home with the right materials and tools. There are quite a few things that you will be able to use to successfully grow biodiesel fuel yourself. Algae is one of the many things that you will be able to use to make your own biodiesel fuel. Algae is able to produce 30 times more oil per acre than any other type of crops that are used for biodiesel fuel. While algae can grow in harsh conditions, it will need professional equipment and goes through a difficult process to grow.

Step 1 – Choose Algae

It is important that whenever you choose the algae that you wish to grow that you start off with a strand that has the absolute highest percentage that you can find of an oil output and chlorophyll. You will need to think long and hard about the conditions as well as the location that you want to cultivate the algae. It does not matter the weather conditions as algae can grow in extreme cold or hot, even underwater. Certain types of algae, such as hydrophilus can grow in shallow pools that go across deserts.

Step 2 – Cultivate

Once you have your chosen device, you will need to cultivate your algae. The device that you choose will have a lot to do with the type of environment that your algae is in as well as the output needs that it will possess.

Step 3 – Harvest

To harvest the algae, you will need to leave about 10% of your crop so that you will be able to successfully reproduce it further. One of the best things about algae is that it is able to have a great turnaround time once it is compared with other types of biomass sources.

Step 4 – Extraction

When it comes to using algae for biofuel, one of the most difficult tasks will be the extraction process. You will need to do your research and make sure that you find an extraction process that works best for you. There are chemical solvents that are toxic that can be used to eat away at the cell wall. However, there are also more eco-friendly methods that you will be able to use. You will need to use a distiller so that you can distill your algae oil. This algae oil will make triglyceride that will be free of other particles of the algae.

Step 5 – Finish

Once you have gotten to this part, you will be able to use the same steps that you would with any type of vegetable oil. You will simply need to make sure that the product that you have whenever you are finished runs smooth and is clean. It will need to have a crystallization point that is low so that it will not freeze regardless of the temperature.