NASA Uses Algae to turn Sewage into Biofuel

NASA is getting into environmental causes by backing a system of turning sewage into biofuel using algae. The OMEGA system consists of floating algae in flexible plastic bags offshore where cities dump their waste water. The freshwater algae would clean the waste water by feeding on nutrients in the sewage and the "cleansed freshwater could then release into the ocean through forward-osmosis membranes in the sides of the plastic bags." "You're concentrating nutrients and releasing extremely clean water into the ocean," said Jonathan Trent, a bioengineer at NASA Ames Research Center. The algae would then be turned into biofuel. More below.


Photo Credit: NASA

"The forward-osmosis membranes only release fresh water into the ocean, and don't permit salty water to contaminate the bags.

Trent envisions harvesting the algae with barges every ten days, and then flushing the plastic bags with salt water to clean out any freshwater algae that might foul the sides of the bags or the forward-osmosis membranes.


The algae would be turned into fuel in a manner similar to using corn to make ethanol.

Municipal wastewater pumped into the bags would then start the cycle all over again."


Source:
FOXNews.com - NASA Uses Algae to Turn Sewage into Fuel




COOL DETAILS AND PICS IN THIS NASA PDF:
http://event.arc.nasa.gov/Green-Aviation/home/pdf/Klupar-scum.pdf

 

that is cool as heck..
finally they decided to do something big for the environment.

 

Very cool.

 

Matt one of the pilot projects passed the first hurdle down here in Santa Cruz. We'll see if they pass another 50 though as doing it in the MB Sanctuary would be no small feat to get passed.

 

now that is some interesting stuff