Scientists only took less than 1 hour to make Crude oil

Generally, it takes 65 million years to change the material from plants such as algae into crude oil. However, through an engineering technique, now scientists are shortening the process to just less than one hour.

The processing techniques developed by Douglas C. Elliot and his team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) operated under the U.S. Department of Energy and the study research was published in Algal Research.

Algae Slurry. (Picture from: http://www.pnnl.gov/)

Outlined I Fucking Love Science, on Thursday, December 19, 2013, to transform algae into crude oil , the first process is done is made ​​a slurry of algae and water. The slurry was put in a reactor and then heated to a temperature of 350 degrees C (662 degrees F) and pressures up to 3,000 psi. Conditions in the reactor under conditions similar to the Earth 's surface for millions of years.

Doug Elliott. (Picture from: http://www.pnnl.gov/)

Less than an hour after the slurry entering into the reactor, forming a dark mixture consisting of crude oil, water, and byproducts can be recycled.  Once the crude oil has been isolated from the mixture, scientists can use traditional refinning techniques to make gasoline , diesel , and jet fuel. Next to the byproducts are mostly potassium and nitrogen, can be returned to the beginning of the process, by feeding more algae.

Biocrude oil that results from Elliott’s single continuous process. (Picture from: http://www.pnnl.gov/)

Algae have long been known as a potential energy source. However, over the years, utilization constrained processing time. PNNL developed a technique to be the solution. When harvesting biofuels from algae usually have to start with a long drying process, now the process can be shortened so that the use of algae for energy more viable.

(L-R): Algae slurry; biocrude oil; and, with further processing, refined biocrude which contains mostly the makings of gasoline and diesel fuel. (Picture from: http://www.pnnl.gov/)

The obstacle now is a matter of cost. This new technology has a large operating costs, the reactor technology. In order to be cheaper, PNNL technology licensed to Genifuel Corporation. Furthermore, the company will build a reactor with a larger scale. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY | I FUCKING LOVE SCIENCE!]
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