Algae for Geoengineering This post explains my ideas on large scale ocean based algae production as a possible technological breakthrough to implement geoengineering. I am an amateur researcher, so I accept there may be flaws in my ideas. However, they have not been field or lab tested, so the research is needed before these proposals should be dismissed. My work as an international development professional with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has exposed me a range of sectors – climate, infrastructure, food, energy, fisheries and mining - that suggests to me that such a multidisciplinary innovative proposal is needed for real progress. I would welcome advice on the feasibility of this proposal and potential strategies for research and pilot testing. These ideas are in the public domain, and while I explored patenting, I did not proceed. My main interest is to contribute to real response to global problems. My proposal is to grow algae in large floating ponds, initially in shallow warm sheltered seas, with buoyancy, stability, transport and pumping provided by plastic bags of fresh water. Relative density of fresh and salt water means 1/40thof a fresh water bag will float above the ocean surface. Using energy from sun, wave, wind, tide and current, such fresh water bags can pump nutrient-rich water across a shallow sheet of plastic to optimise algae growth. This idea builds on NASA’s work on Offshore Membrane Enclosures to Grow Algae (OMEGA) and Mr Terry Spragg’s waterbag invention. It mimics both the original natural process of petroleum deposition and the upwelling of deep water for algae production. My related inventions include use of wave energy to sink bags of algated water deep in the ocean in order to use pressure to dewater it and separate oil, use of wave pumping to aerate the system and enable rapid temporary sinking in event of storm, use of water bags as tidal pumps for both nutrient-rich deep water and CO2 inputs, and use of waterbags to support ocean structures and to transport water and other commodities. Geoengineering is advanced as a solution to global warming, using solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal. Main constraints are cost, acceptability and effectiveness. This proposal addresses these geoengineering constraints as follows: Cost: the aim is to use algae to produce biofuel, and other commercial commodities such as food, fertilizer and fabric. Aiming for profitable commercial operation is essential for rapid scalability. Aiming for use of 100% renewable energy sources based on low capital expenditure and operating expenditure methods is a key to profitability. Using produced algae for fabric to build the ponds and bags can provide a potential cheap and sustainable material that will also provide short term sequestration. Species selection can enable highly productive algae growth, orders of magnitude above other plants. Acceptability: The primary aim is ecological sustainability. This method has potential to rapidly remove CO2 from the air on large scale, mitigating likelihood of a climate crisis. It is also designed to reduce ocean acidity and temperature, so could be located in strategic places of high risk such as coral reefs and the Arctic to help insure against these risks. As well, co-location with CO2 emitters (eg Gorgon Gas on Australia North West Shelf) presents a commercial sequestration and commodity production method with potential for investment by extractive industry firms. My very rough calculation is that placement of algae ponds on about 0.1% of the global ocean would be enough to balance all human CO2 emissions. The scale of the world ocean (71% of planet surface) means that initial acceptable test locations should be readily available. As such, it presents a pragmatic method to enable continuation of the fossil fuel economy alongside growth of a new replacement system. Effectiveness: This method combines the goals of solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal to produce profitable products and mitigate and adapt to climate change and resource constraints. Ponds on the ocean surface aim to transform as much as possible incoming solar heat into algae, significantly cooling the local ocean and providing a transportable concentrated energy source. Combination with other CO2 removal technologies can enable a local use of the captured CO2 to produce commercial products from algae. Coastal coal fired power plants are a potential major CO2 source. It may be possible to use produced algae as a fuel source for electricity plants. My documents are at http://rtulip.net/ocean_based_algae_production_system_provisional_patent I encourage readers to look at the linked documents at this site. I am sure you will see some ideas that you will regard as impractical, but I urge you to set aside any ‘blue sky’ material and focus on whether there is anything with practical potential. To date, none of these ideas have been prototyped or lab tested. I would welcome interest in taking this forward. Sincerely Robert Tulip
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