My Theoretical Findings on Algae-Oxygen Generator cum CO2 inhibitor.

Disclaimer: The following findings are based on secondary data collection and scientific theories .No on ground research of the findings are done to confirm it; but soon confirmatory research/test will be done to check the results.The credit for all kind of information used in this article is given with due respect to authors/ sources of information at end of article. 

Algal Tube for portable oxygen and carbon dioxide regulation.

In the present scenario (increasing level of CO2) it is very difficult to get breathable air.

In ancient times this balance was very finely tuned as there was limited/no exploitation of carbon-based fuels that produce CO2. There used to be trees and big water bodies with (slight) algal cover, which used to help in making balance.

• How Oxygen evolved on earth?

  After the formation of the earth, the Earth's atmosphere had no oxygen gas in the atmosphere(O2). Photosynthetic microbes/organisms that produced O2(Oxygen) as a waste product lived long before the first formation of free oxygen in the atmosphere. The oxygen produced by those organisms would rapidly be removed from the oceans by weathering /reducing minerals, most commonly ‘Fe (Iron)’. 

Due to this, there was a deposition of iron oxide on the ocean floor, forming banded iron structures. Thus, the oceans were rusted and turned reddish in color. Due to mass oxygenation event O2 started persisting in earth’s atmosphere 

The major cause of this mass oxygenation event was cyanobacteria (blue green algae)  a photosynthetic organism. Thus, this was a driving reason to choose algae as oxygenator for our innovation.

• Present Scenario related to oxygen levels

According to the Researchers from Princeton University who compiled 30 years of data to construct the first ice core-based record of atmospheric oxygen concentrations spanning the past 800,000 years (according to the paper published in the journal Science). 

The record showed the decline of atmospheric O2 by 0.7% relative to current atmospheric-oxygen concentrations.

Since a century atmospheric oxygen has declined by a comparatively speedy 0.10% due to the excessive use of fossil fuels, which consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide. 

Thus due to industrialization and the rise of modern society will soon lead to the destruction of free oxygen levels/gaseous oxygen levels.

• Conventional Methods of Oxygen Production

Cryogenic Separation

Cryogenic separation is an old process used to produce very pure oxygen and nitrogen at great volumes. This process was first put in action by Carl Von Linde in 1895 and it remains pretty much the same today. The technology is based on the fact that each of the air’s constituents has different boiling points. The idea behind the process is to reduce the temperature of the air such that nitrogen and oxygen separate based on their difference in boiling points. 

Pressure Swing Adsorption Method

Pressure swing Adsorption is more novel compared to cryogenic separation. In this method devices take atmospheric air inside a pressurized tank. Inside the tank are zeolites. Zeolites when under pressure, gets reform creating a dipole. Depending on the zeolite chosen, this dipole allows for the collection of nitrogen but allows oxygen to pass through it. Now the question arises ‘what are zeolites?’

Zeolites are crystalline structures made of Si, Al and O2  that form cavities and channels inside itself.

This process is chosen if we do not require a high amount of very pure oxygen.

Electrolysis of Water

Another simpler method of producing Oxygen is electrolysis of water this is a very easy method and can be performed at home also. In this method, the electrode pair is dipped in water with a slight amount of acid(to make water conductive).In this case, the two atomic components of water get separated to Hydrogen on one electrode and oxygen on another. 

• Why only algae? 

The primary source of oxygen for a pond is algae (phytoplankton) or aquatic plants. In the presence of sunlight/light(artificial), these produce oxygen through photosynthesis and release this oxygen into the pond water. According to a study, algae produce about 75% of Oxygen required to man on earth. And cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae) was major cause of Oxygen production in ancient times. 

Thus algae is a great source of oxygen production in daylight (bright zones).

Due to this reason in the algal tube, algae is used to treat CO2 rich air to O2 rich air.

This transformation occurs due to photosynthetic algae, which leads to the success of the project.

In addition to this algae is easily available and cheap.

• Structure of Algal Tube

Algal tube consists of two tubes:

Tube 1: Illumination tube, this tube helps in creating ambient photosynthetic conditions that lead to photosynthesis in algae.

Tube 2: Algae carrier tube, this tube contains algae that do photosynthesis.

In this tube, there are two separate pipes submerged in algae and the other one above the surface. Tube 2 is completely airtight, but the only way for air to enter is the pipe which is submerged in algae(air is pumped via this pipe) and another exit point is from the pipe above the surface of algae.

• Uses of Algal Tube

The algal tube can be used for patients who need little oxygen for survival or in a basement of the house where there are no windows for air circulation and in space shuttles where there is a closed environment.

• What is new in the algal tube?

Algal tube, unlike any other technology, is easy to perform and make, it’s a simple and straightforward method of converting CO2 to O2 with the use of electricity. This method makes a balance between the level of these two gasses and does not consume any substance or fluid like water(H2O)which is consumed in electrolysis.

In this method, the most unlikely substance (i.e. Algae) on waterbodies is used to do something very useful. As the algae in water in large quantity can hamper aquatic life and pollute the water body by making it stinky and un-potable.

   

• Practical difficulties of Algal Tube Technology:

 The life span of algae is very less in tubes.

 Sometimes the air expelled from the tube may stink(smell bad).

 Not proven technique or method i.e. under research, so can’t be used on a wide medical scale for patients 

 Do not produce a consistent level of oxygen (at least according to me )

 

References /Webliography

• https://aquaplant.tamu.edu/faq/dissolved-oxygen/;date 27/12/2020 ;time 12:00pm

• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/oxygen-declining-from-earths-atmosphere-faster-now/articleshow/54678035.cms ; 27/12/2020 ;time 12:20pm

• Holland, H. D. (2006). "The oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 361 (1470): 903–915. doi:10.1098/rstb.2006.1838. PMC 1578726. PMID 16754606.;date 27/12/2020;time 12:12pm

• Zimmer, Carl (3 October 2013). "Earth's Oxygen: A Mystery Easy to Take for Granted". New York Times. Retrieved 3 October 2013..;date 27/12/2020;time 12:15pm

• Industrial Oxygen: Its Generation and Use 

Prakash Rao and Michael Muller, Center for Advanced Energy Systems, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey link:- https://www.aceee.org/files/proceedings/2007/data/papers/78_6_080.pdf date 27/12/2020;time 12:12pm

• http://www.algaeparc.com/about-algea  date 27/12/2020;time 12:12pm

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwinmNLRovLtAhUZYysKHUbwD3sQFjAFegQIChAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthewonderofscience.com%2Fphenomenon%2F2018%2F6%2F15%2Fthe-great-oxygenation-event&usg=AOvVaw3o4v0-Te9lhjkA0PKsG5gT ; date 29/12/2020 ;time 8:49am