Biological Fuel Manufacture �In Space��Mark Smith

Algae in Early Earth Paved the Way For Human Habitation.

MIT Persuades Algae to Make Hydrogen Fuel�Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

3^rd Generation Algae Biofuel Companies

Sapphire Energy

Genetically Engineered Cyanobacterium:

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• Genetically engineered a cyanobacterium that can convert CO2 directly to liquid hydrocarbons (diesel fuel, jet fuel, and gasoline) requiring no biomass intermediates, processing, cracking or refining.
• Run a continuous circulating medium comprised of brackish water and micronutrients through the algae.

Joule Unlimited

Improvement on Chlamydomanas Reinhardtii:

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• Successfully produced 91-octane Gasoline from algae that fully conforms to ASTM certification standards.
• In 2009 participated in a test flight using algae-based fuel in a Boeing-737-800 twin-engine aircraft

My Proposal: Algae Refueling Station

Key Concept

Create a renewable source of fuel in space to avoid the transport cost

Uses:

• Space Tug
• Continual material transportation between LEO and Moon using STP
• Provide intermediary refueling station to more distant destinations
• Refuel Satellites

Algae used to:

• Produce H2 fuel source
• Produce Liquid Hydrocarbons
• Nourishing food source
• Breathable air- used as scrubbers

�Refueling your Refueling Station in Space�The Cold Hard Facts:�

1^st gas pump in space set for 2015. That’s GREAT!

But what happens when THEY run out of fuel?

Objectives:

• Renewable source of fuel using algae
• Avoids excessive costs involved in launching fuel

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Algae Hydrocarbon Production:

• 3785.4 gallons of liquid hydrocarbons/(m² of land*year)

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Algae Hydrogen Production:

• 33 grams of algae produce 264.2 gallons of H₂

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Requirements:

• Sunlight… No problem!
• Water… Use hydroponics to replenish water supply.
• C02…
• A single human exhales .9 kg of C02 per day
• Algae absorbs 1.6 kg/(day*Liter of algae)
• C02 from 2 people can accommodate 1 Liter of algae
• We need more C02!
• I propose to use decaying vegetables from the hydroponics garden to supply C02

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Bottom Line:

For a 50 m² algae tank we will be able to get 189,270 gallons of liquid hydrocarbons per year. Fuel that could be used without modification to existing engines.

Graphene Oxide: �Framework For Tank Surface Packs in Hydrogen, C02

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GOFs

• Strong Storage Ability
• Roughly 1% weight in hydrogen
• Optimum H2 storage capability

at cold temperatures (77 kelvin)

• Inexpensive material
• Light weight
• Optimal Mechanical Properties
• Tougher than a diamond
• Stretches like rubber
• Graphene thin as cling film is Able to support an elephant
• Ideal for space application
• Optimum H2 storage capacity at

Cold temperatures (77 Kelvin)

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Combining graphene with special metallic nanostructures could lead to better solar cells and optical communications systems

Applications: Transport From LEO to the Moon�What’s the Rush?

Space Tug

Inspiration:

• JPL’s SEP Space Tug Study- 1986
• LEO to Lunar transport
• Flight time = 1 year
• New set of engines required for each flight.
• Payload fraction = 60%

Space Tug Concept Revamped:

• STP Monopropellant & light-weight graphene tank
• Algae in a separate tank continually supplying propellant

Objectives

• Lower cost & More flexible transportation
• 5000 kg delivered to the moon from LEO every

100 days

• SART engines
• Continuous ISP=750sec. Thrust=10N

Power to the ISS

Highlighted:

Location of ECLSS life support equipment

Electrolysis:

• Produces most of the station's oxygen
• Utilizes electricity from the ISS solar panels to split water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas

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Drawback:

• Requires energy input

Viability

Foton Satellite Orbiting Earth.

Housed Algae Experiment in 2005/2007

BIOKIS: Photo-Evolution Hardware used to

Test the space tolerance of Chalmydomonas Reinhardtii

ISS housed BIOKIS hardware in 2011

Synthetic Genomics-Craig Venter

“……it’s pretty obvious that there’s nothing in the natural world

to make the levels that are needed.”…… Synthetic fuel producing algae coming ?

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The Future of Space Travel Looks...�SLIMY