Pressure-Cooking Algae Into a Better Biofuel

I agree with bill B - the process sounds very energy intensive - would we ever get a higher energy return from the finished product? That is one of the major problems with photovoltaics / solar energy cells - it takes more energy to produce the photovoltaic cell than it will every produce in its lifetime.

I would think - although I am not an engineer - that investigations into existing natural systems would be worth investigating. For example, trees transport water from below the ground to the top of their canopy, sometimes as much as 100 feet. They do not use a fossil fueled pump, but a combination of many small existing forces to get the job done.

I mean the whol point is to not use fossil fuels, right? How can we accomplish that when we are starting out using highly energy intensive processes like high heat & pressure?

kris H of MI 8:32AM June 07, 2010