E-ALGAE

INTRODUCTION
• The mechanism is very interesting because many things are already set in their place by Mother
Nature. The algae involved make their own food via photosynthesis. The green colored pigments
called chloroplasts present in the algae cells trap sunlight and perform a process called “catalysis”. In
this process, water is broken down to oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons. The electrons produced
gain some energy during this process and move to a higher energy level. Later on, they are captured
by proteins to form carbohydrates. But, if these electrons are intercepted on their way to proteins
and harvested through a proper channel, then electricity could be generated.
RAW MATERIALS
NO. PondS SPECIFICATIONS. Quantity. COST/unit
• 1. Distilled Liquid 2 litres Rs 20
water

• 2. Pond water Liquid 2 litre

• 3. Salt. Solild. 50gram. Rs 10

PRINCIPLES
• The algae involved make their own food via photosynthesis. The green
colored pigments called chloroplasts present in the algae cells trap
sunlight and perform a process called “catalysis”. In this process, water is
broken down to oxygen, hydrogen ions and electrons.

• This electrons are used to generate electricity.

ADVANTAGES
• This a big step forward in the search for alternative, greener fuels
• As the global population increases, so too does energy demand. The threat of
climate change means that there is an urgent need to find cleaner, renewable
alternatives to fossil fuels that do not contribute extensive amounts of greenhouse
gases with potentially devastating consequences on our ecosystem.
• In recent years, in addition to synthetic photovoltaic devices, biophotovoltaics
(BPVs, also known as biological solar-cells) have emerged as an environmentally-
friendly and low-cost approach to harvesting solar energy and converting it into
electrical current.
• These solar cells utilise the photosynthetic properties of microorganisms such as
algae to convert light into electric current that can be used to provide electricity.
APPLICATIONS
• By taking advantage of a process that is constantly occurring all over the world, we’ve
created a new and scalable technology that could lead to cheaper ways of generating
energy.
• Biomass is produced can be used as biofuel.
• No harmful gas is released, so it is nature friendly.
 PRESENT SCENARIO OF E-ALGAE

• Biomass is being used to produce power and electricity.

• Biogas and bio CNG Is being generated In small scale.
• An attempt to increase the energy recovery from the system was made by extracting lipids
from algae grown at the cathode and utilizing the lipid extracted algae (LEA) biomass as an
anodic substrate. As of now, an unsuccessful attempt to use lipid extracted algae (LEA) as an
anodic substrate has been made wherein the authors reported an OCV (Open circuit
voltage) of 0.021 V only.
FUTURE SCENARIO OF E-ALGAE

• The invention is still in its early stages. “We have a lot of work to do in terms of scaling
the power cell to make the project commercial.
• Currently, the photosynthetic power cell exists on a small scale, and consists of an anode,
cathode and proton exchange membrane.
• The cyanobacteria or blue green algae are placed in the anode chamber.As they undergo
photosynthesis, the cyanobacteria release electrons to the electrode surface.
• An external load is connected to the device to extract the electrons and harness power.