OriginOil Introduces Algae-to-Oil Technology

ChemicalProcessing.com
01/15/2009

OriginOil Inc., a developer of a technology to transform algae into a competitor to petroleum, announced the successful automation of its Helix BioReactor system. The technology optimizes algae growth, making large-scale commercial algae production scalable, according to the Los Angeles-based company.
 
The design of the Helix BioReactor utilizes low-energy lights arranged in a helix pattern and a rotating vertical shaft design, which is said to allow algae culture to replicate exponentially within a smaller installation footprint. Automation of this system is a key step toward continuous algae production, allowing greater control of the growth environment and efficient, low-cost industrial algae production.
 
The automation will provide control over all stages of monitoring, solenoid operation, nutrient injection and CO2 delivery at the micron or Quantum Fracturing level. Nutrient and CO2 delivery are timed precisely to the pH algorithms to return micron-mixed fluid to the bioreactor.  Through programming of certain key metrics, such as pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and temperature, the system is capable of controlling flow and timing of events in the algae growth cycle, which is crucial to controlling batch health in continuous algae production.
 
For more information, visit: http://www.originoil.com.