I don't know the nutrient strategies yet.  Much of the nutrient mass is
absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere.  They mention "wastewater".  I'm just
getting into this.

Soybeans and corn can't begin to compare to algae, which doubles its mass
every 24 hours.  Half of algae weight is oil, which can be extracted with
cold pressing.

Here again are the entertaining refs:
www.biodieselamerica.org
www.biomassmagazine.com

Jim West
www.geocities.com/noxot

------
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:54:16 -0400, Eric Entemann <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
>"The current algae farm consists of 1,100 acres of saltwater ponds thatthe
Company projects will produce a minimum of 4.4 million gallons of algaloil
and 110 million pounds of biomass on an annual basis."
> 
>Where do the millions of pounds of nutrients come from?  Can human and
animal waste provide all the necessary nitrogen, and what about phosphorus
and potassium?  And what about the stench??  My vegetable garden needed all
those things, and I would guess that algae is not all that different.
> 
>Oil from algae is certainly a very interesting idea, and I hope the
biologists on the list will comment on it.
> 
>BTW, of course what's left of soybeans after the oil is extracted is rich
in protein and fiber etc and can be used for human and animal food. 
Likewise corn after the starch is converted to ethanol.  Not so for sugar
cane, at least regarding protein.> Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:12:31 -0400>
From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Bio-Diesel, vastly better than ethanol
and gasoline> To: [log in to unmask]> > An impressive
documentary recently; "FIELDS OF FUEL" has won many awards.> > The film
eloquently contradicts approximately 600 articles published in> major media
to bash bio-diesel. It reviews petrochemical's political history.> > Don't
confuse this with Ethanol.> > Biodiesel certainly seems to be one of the
best alternative power sources> available. Algae farms are now producing
bio-oils from which fuel, food,> and plastic can be derived. Mere
cold-pressing can extract oil which is a> main component of algae, by
weight, 50%. It is now being offered at fuel> stations througout Europe.> >
Bio-diesel oil tops the BTU efficiency studies. Both gasoline and ethanol>
utilize nearly as much energy to manufacturer as they provide. Yet, bio-oil>
produces a multiple of the energy required to create it.> > Bio-diesel
exhaust is much less hazardous then petroleum fuel exhausts. It> smells like
french fries, rather than carcinogenic hell. Newer diesel> engines are
highly efficient and clean. The first diesel engine was> introduced to the
world in the late 19th c. running on peanut oil. Not> surprisingly, the
wealthy and successful Rudolf Diesel died an early death> under suspicious
circumstances.> > Algae grows in seawater, and duplicates its mass every 24
hours. It can use> wastewater. It is a completely renewable resource. Algae
farms extract> carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen, protein,
fiber and oil.> > Oil can be extracted from algae by cold-press, harmless
CO2 process, or> conventional hexane solvent process. > > The process is
completely independent of petrochemical industry, though the> existing
pipeline grid would be useful.> > Under pessimistic scenarios, bio-diesel
shines brightly in terms of the> environment and economics.> > Here are
optimistic scenarios that I've calculated. Please confirm and> critique.> >
Using the optimistic claims of the algae farmers (see below), then if>
biodiesel hybrids (generated or plug-in) replaced gasoline cars and if>
engine efficiencies are doubled, then a city of 1 million people could>
replace all of its gasoline usage with an algae farm of 3.65 square miles,>
or 1.35 miles on each side of a square representing that farm.> > A village
of 5,000 could replace its gasoline requirements, accordingly,> with an
algae farm of 25,000 square feet (500 ft per side). > > For more info:> >
www.biodieselamerica.org/what_is_biodiesel> >
www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1366&q=&page=all> > Here are
statments from a company that is currently going into production.> >
http://gas2.org/2008/03/29/first-algae-biodiesel-plant-goes-online-april-1-2008/>
> a) "Microalgae... can produce 30-100 times the oil yield of soybeans on>
marginal land and in brackish water. The biomass left-over from
oil-pressing> can either be fed to cattle as a protein supplement, or
fermented into> ethanol." > > b)"The current algae farm consists of 1,100
acres of saltwater ponds that> the Company projects will produce a minimum
of 4.4 million gallons of algal> oil and 110 million pounds of biomass on an
annual basis." > > Jim West> www.geocities.com/noxot
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