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Algae, would prove a much better oxygen producer than plants. There are many studies being done, and done previously, on the viability of algae oxygenating art

Algae, would prove a much better oxygen producer than plants. There are many studies being done, and done previously, on the viability of algae oxygenating artificial atmospheres. http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/12/important-organism/ http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/12/important-organism/

ghshephard 14y ago
I read through the article a couple times, but couldn't find any pointers regarding the efficiency of algae as an oxygen producer - only that there is a lot of it out in the ocean. Do you have any citations that would suggest algae would be better in an airlock than a potted plant? (starts off on his 90 minute google/wikipedia distraction of the day) [15 minutes later - this is the best link I've been able to find - from a Navy research paper in 1963, no less: http://torpedo.nrl.navy.mil/tu/ps/doc.html?dsn=7590785&hi=1&p=1 http://torpedo.nrl.navy.mil/tu/ps/doc.html?dsn=7590785&h... -- snip -- The results obtained with a small pilot plant containing 6200 ml of algal suspension have been evalu- ated; the effects of light intensity, rate of stirring, rate of carbon dioxide supply, and other variables were part of this study. Light energy was supplied by six 1500-watt incandescent lamps which extended through the suspension and were encased in 50-mm O.D. cooling jackets. When the light intensity at the surface of these jackets was 34,000 foot-candles (the limit with the equipment at hand), the oxygen production was 4500 cc per hour. Oxygen production increases with light intensity, but the oxygen produced per watt of electrical en- ergy expended is constant over a wide range of light intensities. The amount of electrical energy re- quired to provide enough oxygen for one man is between 30 and 50 kw, depending on the design of the gas exchanger. This high requirement makes the process prohibitive at present; but the development of more efficient high-intensity light sources could change the outlook. The dependability of the algal system in providing a constant supply of oxygen has been assured by this study; also, the volume requirements of the algal system are competitive with existing systems for carbon dioxide removal and oxygen production. -- snip --
- mturmon 14y ago
  That's nice, because it pays some attention to alternative means to use energy to sink CO2, which is one way to look at the plant example.

ghshephard 14y ago

I read through the article a couple times, but couldn't find any pointers regarding the efficiency of algae as an oxygen producer - only that there is a lot of it out in the ocean. Do you have any citations that would suggest algae would be better in an airlock than a potted plant? (starts off on his 90 minute google/wikipedia distraction of the day) [15 minutes later - this is the best link I've been able to find - from a Navy research paper in 1963, no less: http://torpedo.nrl.navy.mil/tu/ps/doc.html?dsn=7590785&hi=1&p=1 http://torpedo.nrl.navy.mil/tu/ps/doc.html?dsn=7590785&h... -- snip -- The results obtained with a small pilot plant containing 6200 ml of algal suspension have been evalu- ated; the effects of light intensity, rate of stirring, rate of carbon dioxide supply, and other variables were part of this study. Light energy was supplied by six 1500-watt incandescent lamps which extended through the suspension and were encased in 50-mm O.D. cooling jackets. When the light intensity at the surface of these jackets was 34,000 foot-candles (the limit with the equipment at hand), the oxygen production was 4500 cc per hour. Oxygen production increases with light intensity, but the oxygen produced per watt of electrical en- ergy expended is constant over a wide range of light intensities. The amount of electrical energy re- quired to provide enough oxygen for one man is between 30 and 50 kw, depending on the design of the gas exchanger. This high requirement makes the process prohibitive at present; but the development of more efficient high-intensity light sources could change the outlook. The dependability of the algal system in providing a constant supply of oxygen has been assured by this study; also, the volume requirements of the algal system are competitive with existing systems for carbon dioxide removal and oxygen production. -- snip --

mturmon 14y ago
That's nice, because it pays some attention to alternative means to use energy to sink CO2, which is one way to look at the plant example.