2019... this video could not be more relatable now

I'm failing to figure out why you're wearing bottles on your feet.

This was a good presentation. What have you done with this idea since 2008?

131 people dont like sandals, most of those people also do not like granola ;) good on ya Michael for making this setup and the video, keep doing ya thing :)

Thank You for working in the solution rather than whining about the problem. Peace.

I think this is basically a scaled down demonstration of the process. Most CO2 is pumped out of industry into the atmosphere as waste. This demonstrates how that waste could be used to produce more sustainable vegetable oils or food

Hello Michael. Are you still with Stanford University and working with algae bioreactors and fuels? I am very interested in learning more about your projects and the programs at the university that focus on developing biofuels from algae. Thank you so much!

Right, I remember one place in Hawaii that grew algae for nutritional purposes, no pumps, but a lot of surface area.

Mad Love. Much respect

Thats a nice and simple bio-reactor. I have a question tough, do you keep the bio reactors out doors or in-doors with artificial lights? What type of algae strains do you use? I am thinking of building one my self :-)

You rock, the only person that is not working for an institute and has sucessful done a prototype!!! Keep up the good work. I have always wanted to do it but i lack time and skill

I've heard about an aquaponics which would use not just plants(hydroponics), but would include an underwater environment

Solar is great....if you lack that try bicycle power....a short run on the bike should store enough energy in a battery or two to keep the pumps going.....and the exercise is good for you...

I'm a studying biotechnology, nice bioreactors, man!

i love ur energy thanks for this video many blessings

where are you getting the co2 from is it compressed into canisters or are you pumping normal air in?

Very good explanation :D

yr positive attitude is applaudable, makes u a beatiful people.

Actually, although I doubt such a system is a viable option due to the required energy input (EROEI ratio is in the negatives), it has alternate uses, if it scrubs CO2 from the atmosphere: for example, it can be used as a CO2 scrubber for a CBR shelter, for a space habitation, or for a lunar colony. The atmosphere cycled through the scrubber would be nearly CO2 free and the oxygen released is breathable. Maybe as a closed breathing system it has promise.

Yes, somebody had finally made initiative!!! can you tell me how to extract the oil? coz thats the hardest part.

what species of algae did you use, also what media/nutrients do they need

love this clip it addresses the polution issue without the useual gio political bs A simple well thought out alternative naturl idea that is based on simple natural processes most anyone can both understand and reproduce to see for themselves Thanx for a voice of reason in a loud world of confusion and bs

Which algea did you use for extracting biofeul?

Cool sandal dude. By the way, can I know what did you use to pump the carbon dioxide? and for your information, I am still 16 years old and I cannot afford any machine in this age. So I want to know, can I breed algae without using the carbon dioxide machine?

I bet the chicks just love this guy with his fashionable shoes. And he's such a snappy dresser. Also his algae system will revolutionize the world.

Could you make a DIY bioreactor? I am burning wood...so there would be enpough co2. How about other stuff in the exhaust? will it effect the growth? How could you circle and filter the algae? How much bottels would you need for 10l oil a day? Where do I get the algae and which sort is it?

How much biodiesel can you make with the bio-reactor there?

Brilliant!

Hey I wanna try and grow algea as food/fuel so that I don't choke to death in 30 years. What do I feed the algae that I can make/grow for cheap?

i kept waiting to the see the sandals. was not disappointed

Wow this is very good 👏 My friend , How do you create these air bubbles that go into the pet bottles? I am thinking of guiding my students in a project for the science fair with this approach. mount a photobioreactor.

Good point on the air pump, I personally doubt this system is energy positive. However, I must point out though that it is not algae specifically that requires an air pump, but rather, the need for an air pump is a symptom of his choice to use water bottles.

The thing about using just aquarium pumps is that one the algae gets to a certain density, the die-off rate ramps up because the CO2 consumption during the day and oxygen levels at night aren't able to sustain sufficient levels from a tiny pump.

Hi, I´m planning to do this myself and I have some questions: Do you need a special species of algae for this or will our rain water do it? Which fertilizer do you use? How much? thanks!

Seems to me that in small scale operation, a solar powered pump would be able to cycle CO2 in without much trouble. You'd have to look at the impact manufacturing the panels would have, environmentally, but if you're recycling bottles and old garden lights, it could be a good solution.

Hello sir Which types of fertilizer use for algae cultivation

Using Algae require constant air pump. Did you do any calculation on the electric power /energy needed to generate 1 gallon of biodiesel ? What it the ROI ?

that sandal made my day

Awesome!

@1BustedMyth Nice to know the internet is always thinking about me!

Centrifuge? What did you end up figuring? Why is the high fat content good? Pardon my ignorance.

Can you use sunlight to evaporate the water to make the paste, instead of centrifuging.

where is this project now ? why didn't it got picked up ?

does it produce more energy than the pump uses? if not i can think of afew possible solutions but that seems something that needs to be taken into account.

Great project. need to try

@donsjuand Thanks man. Nice to know some of us out there are after the root of the problem.

Man that's awesome... Can I see the design?

damn pump @ 1.22 scared the bejesus out of my cat - now i have a lap full of porridge - thanks

i believe it needs more "aeration" than what would be supplied naturally. this occurs by currents, waves, winds in nature.

@frederickgraff Centrifugal filter or press? Should be able to reduce the water content enough then you run it through a oven like how they bake bread factory style, or u can sun dry it if ur not in a hurry.

Kickin sandals man.

What type of algae are you using?

wow that bottle sandal really cought me off guard

to grow algae is pretty simple job but the question is how to convert it into biodiesel in an economic or cheaper way ?

What type of Algae are you growing there?

And how much energy for baking soda and vinegar ? :(

@pac6010 You missed my point entirely. If you want to produce oil from alge to use as a fuel, does it make sense to burn fuel in the process.

I keep looking at that. Can you do a video explaining foot bottles?

You could use a reaction like baking soda and vinegar to produce CO2 in a closed reaction chamber that could build enough pressure to force the gas through the bioreactor... yes?

so how many gallons of Algae do you need to make 1 gallon of bio-oil?

this is cool ....i want to try it in our house

how much oil can you get out of this size operation, measured in days/week/month? It will be economically viable soon but right now i think diesel fuel is cheap enough the start up and operating cost, and time needed for a larger scale backyard operation might just not be worth it. It will be a great day, someday to get off foreign oil and everyone to create this in their backyard though.

The lack of ANY response from the poster indicates the reality and feasibility of this project.

They also have a method using sonic waves to break the cells.

will using recycled pet bottles like this be suitable for human-grade food algae like spirulina? or will it degrade overtime and become unsuitable for food production?

Corn (ethanol) gives a return of 1 to 1, it takes 1 barrel of oil worth of energy (equivalent), to produce 1 barrel of oil worth of energy (equivalent). Obvious it is not a viable option, my guess is, this is even less. Do you have any projected numbers? Thanks.

why does it need to be pure co2 pumped into the bottles? Air from the atmosphere still has co2 and absorbing that will have benefits to the environment

I saw those bottle sandals was invented by some poor people in africa where they wear that (on picture over the internet), is a good way of recycle if you your guys think about it.. ain't this video is about go green, bio fuel and safe the planet? so he doing good.. good job dude!

Community farming for farmers would be great too but it must seperae on the large scale

how do you get co2? just pump it from outside air? can the air pump be replaced by electric motor (maybe solar and batt powered)? can you make a vid about processing the algae please. *clicks Like*

Is this a fresh water algae? Can you use a saltwater algae? Fresh water is more precious than salt water, which is abundant. What do you feed the algae apart from CO2? I was thinking about running sewage into the algae reactor to promote growth.

Where can i get a pair of those sandals ? actually no.

@DingoBabyEat For what it's worth, coal must also be mined and transported, and it burns dirtier than petrolium products. As a solid, it cannot be piped. (Ethanol and corn also can not be moved through a pipeline) Furthermore, the internal combustion engine is not the most inefficient kind of engine... if it was we would still be using (coal fired) steam power. Part of the reason that Diesel made his engine was because nothing was on the market that was affordable to operate (efficient)

@jackgr13 as they wear down... wouldn't all the tiny particles end up in the sea, into that plastic island ?

I cracked at the flip-flop scene.

where do you get your co2?

The only downside to using plastic bottles are shoes, is that you create micro-plastics. I am unaware if this is better or worse than recycling or sending to a garbage disposal, so I am only mentioning 1 thing that may be useful to know that I didn't know about until the last few years of learning.

why the video is muted

Cool!

@frederickgraff they dry it reducing its liquid contains then they use mechanical pumps to apply pressure to it squezzing oils from it because water will dry but the oil will lock into the algae because oils low release rate

Its a matter of price its thermodynamics. It always take more energy to split the hydrogen from the water molecules than you get from burning that hydrogen, making water again. You are loosing energy every time even if it was free. Plus hydrogen is difficult to compress so it's hard to transport and it's explosive so you don't want to store it. Some form of carbon based energy storage (bio-diesel, alcohol, natural gas, regular petroleum) or nuclear is the best choice.

Are there engines that run off of algae oil? Just seems to me that hemp is a far better option.

hey man nice vid. If you wanna wear the flipflops just do it. Dont listen to this guys. I take u seriously cuz what u say makes sense. Dont let others set your fashion standards. You are yourself.

@cjg0815 Once the oil is gone and gas is unavailable or prohibitively expensive you won't have any choice but to use alternate fuels. Oil used to be 1 for 100. It would take 1 barrel of oil worth of energy to get 100 barrels of oil out of the ground, we are now (as of 2011) at 1 for 17. Oil is getting close to being a non viable fuel source, within our life time. Alternatives need to be found, so unless you have any ideas, just stick to what you know, consumption.

growing algae is pretty simple, but the major question is energy input and ouput for extracting the algae. for most industrial production, the major fuel source is still from fossil fuels. algae fuel may not be a viable source of energy if the energy input is more than the output. petroleum is great simply because all the energy input is free from years of under the earth pressure. however

We would like to produce a DIY Algae CO2 sequestration device. Can you assist us?

Algae can become oil?

I hate to see this unanswered as it is the same bit of information I am looking for. After some digging, I found a rough estimate for us. First off, here is Michaels How-To for this experiment (not sure why it is not linked); www.instructables.com/id/An-Algae-Bioreactor-from-Recycled-Water-Bottles/ Secondly, here are a few sources on Large-Scale Algae Production statistics; allaboutalgae.com/faq-history/, "The generally accepted range of how much fuel can be produced from an acre of algae is 2,000-5,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year." www.americanenergyindependence.com/algaefarms.aspx, "The University of New Hampshire Biodiesel Group 'While traditional crops have yields of around 50-150 gallons of biodiesel per acre per year, algae can yield 5,000-20,000 gallons per acre per year.'" www.energy.gov/eere/videos/energy-101-algae-fuel, "Algae could potentially produce up to 60 times more oil per acre than land-based plants." And last but not least my favorite source so far (I love NASA, plus they really want the cheaper fuel!); www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_ScienceCafeJune.html, "The VCERC is providing the data necessary for a full economic feasibility study of algae-to-biodiesel production within Virginia from a working algal "raceway," which is estimated to produce 3,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. The raceway is on one acre of the Spring Grove Farm in Surry County." So, weighing our sources, we are looking at a projected yield of 2,000 - 5,000 Gallons per Acre per Year (~ 3,500 Gallons/Acre/Year) Now why Michaels project is so interesting is due to his Engineering background, I assume. This adds a few variables to our math, aligning us closer to our yields for THIS project. So...what are our factors? Land farms collect light from the top-down alone. Water bottles, if placed correctly have access to nearly 360 degrees of light penetration. Will this matter? Yes, algae growth is highly affected by light intake and the additional light may affect yields and growth rates. Land farms generate agitation to stimulate algae growth with (motorized) water wheels. The Water bottles CO2 input should be capable of properly agitating the algae, however, due to the density, algae (green tinting within bottles) will eventually rise to the top of the bottle, attach to CO2 inputs, and possibly coagulate into a gelatinous form. So? A proper solution should be implemented to counter-attack this property as it may lead to exponential decay in growth rates and therefore lower yields. One possible solution brainstormed up is; introduce punched vents (holes) from smallest in size to largest in size down the length of the CO2 input tubes that will rest underwater, this will allow the CO2 to escape not only out of the end of the tube, and the bottom of the bottle, but also in varying amounts throughout the entire bottle. Hypothetically, this should reduce coagulation within the bottle, while providing an improved evening in distribution of CO2 to our algae crop. Land farms collect and store heat within the surrounding land, which helps algae produce throughout the night. Temperature is a large factor in algae growth also. The water bottles in Michaels example are line-fed CO2 gas and do not have a high thermal capacity (this is the trade of plastic versus, say, think glass with metal flakes suspended within) It is important that CO2 entering the water bottles passes through a gaseous expansion chamber (Tank -> Expansion Chamber -> Lines) to allow drops in temperature (rapid decompression of gasses stimulates thermodynamic reactions) to rise naturally. Now after all that; It takes roughly ~325,851 Gallons of Water to cover 1 Acre. Now...that is ~41,708,928 Fluid Ounces of Water per Acre. Which on average produces ~3,500 Gallons of Biofuel. So you would produce ~0.0014181615983993 Gallons of Biofuel / 16.9 Fl Oz Water Bottle / Year. Or ~0.073744403116762 Gallons of Biofuel / 52 Bottles / Year. However, we are comparing two widely different methods, while also ignoring extraction technology. Post-script; Another experiment document with more details; agsci.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/bioenergy/education/algae_final_interactive.pdf Also, practical scaling would depend on the in-house generation of CO2 or CO2-waste scrubbing. As the cost of harvesting, tanking and pumping CO2 would likely lower profit margins, or for the DIYer, it would make it cost more to operate than the overall savings on fuel. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mp-HhrOb1pqaaHk.html

Name of microorganisms?

though H2O might be the most enormous potential of energy resources, but the cost of seperating H and O is still costly, hopefully some one can come out with cheaper method. green our world.

@cromartie800 All of his bottle could be run on little aquarium pumps powerd by a little solar panel. Gentle stirring does help the alge grow faster. But that big honking carbon producing compressor kind of defeats the purpose.

@1Rectified if and only if the water is exposed to large enough air surface, and enough water movement to dissolve CO2 to help photosynthesis.

hi, i'd be interested in... *what type of algea and how/where you get it *seeing the the whole growing cycle (does the algea just sit in water or do you cycle water thru it) *the centrifuge or drying process (how dry is dry enough?) *changing the dried algea paste into biofuel if you have this info... send me an email!

Michael, You need to do this video again, but pay better attention to the audio. This edition was recorded too hot and has too much noise-reduction processing. I like the idea, but it needs a better presentation.

What kind of CO2 tank are you supposed to get?

Is it posible to grow some Spirulina this way?

Does anybody know how to filter that algae?

what's the use of the air pump?

Is it not more simple to make a hole in every bottle that lets the co 2 in and the tubes on the back then you need no pomp am i right?

I'm a packrat, I save back the tubing from my oxygen machine which would have a perfect use here.