Jan 12 2010
Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTI) (OTC Bulletin Board: CVAT; Berlin/ Stuttgart: WTC) is pleased to announce filing a Nonprovisional Utility Patent Application titled "Method for Processing an Algae to Produce Algal Oil and By-Products", CTI successfully completed development and testing of its Algae reactor. This technology is able to extract oil from Algae on a continuous basis for commercial applications, resulting in another renewable fuel technology from CTI. The algae industry is poised to dominate the world of biofuels and we are prepared to participate in supplying the world with what we believe to be the most advanced technology.
Algae are among the fastest growing plants in the world, and about 50 percent of their weight is oil. That lipid oil can be used to make biodiesel for cars, trucks, and possibly even jet fuel for airplanes. One of the great things about using algae is that it's not used as food so it's easy to avoid the spiking of cost as demand increases. In the past we've seen rising prices with corn based ethanol or soy bean based biodiesel as demand soared. Other benefits of using algae as a source of renewable energy is the fact that it doesn't require clean water like farm crops, and in some cases doesn't even need fresh water. Additionally, algae are nearly CO2 neutral as it is extremely efficient at turning the CO2 in the air into algae oil during the photosynthesis process. Oil extraction from algae is currently a hotly debated topic because this process is one of the more costly processes which can determine the sustainability of algae-based biodiesel; with our application we are able to cut costs.
In terms of the concept, the idea is quite simple: Harvest the algae from its growth medium (using an appropriate separation process), and extract the oil out of it. Extraction can be broadly categorized into mechanical methods as well as chemical methods. The most efficient method is cavitation based extraction. By utilizing CTI's cavitation reactor, the extraction processes can be greatly accelerated. CTI's Nano reactor is used to create cavitation bubbles in a solvent material, when these bubbles collapse near the cell walls it creates shock waves and liquid jets that cause those cells walls to break and release their contents into the solvent.
Algae is often referred to as the "Ultimate" renewable energy source, we are excited to offer a technology that refines and accelerates the process considerably. Cavitation Technologies, Inc prides itself on creating solutions and applications in industries where there are significant environmental issues and/or there is a need to reduce costs and improve profitability.