International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research & Practice Page | 614 Volume I Issue VIII IJRSI ISSN 2321-2705 Conversion Techniques for Oilgae to Biodiesel for Automobile: Overview in Context to Indian Perception Alpesh Mehta 1 , Nirvesh Mehta 2 1 Research Scholar, Faculty of Technology, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, 2 Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, LDRP, Gandhinagar. Abstract—The global economy thrives on energy. Affordable energy directly contributes to increase productivity, reducing poverty and improving betterment of life. Global population is increasing day by day, which, in a way is leading to the utilization of natural resources and fossil fuels. Fossil fuels cannot be replenished, once it gets depleted, it cannot be produced again and major cause of pollution. Declining fossil fuel production with a rising fuel demand provides the most compelling global reason for alternative fuels. So we have to think for production of such fuels which are not only potential alternatives for fossil fuels, but also are eco-friendly in nature and not get depleted. So one has to think about renewable energy sources - solar, tidal, wind, biomass, hydro etc.. Biodiesel derived from oil crops (biomass) is also a potential renewable alternative to petroleum. It is discussed about replacement of petroleum-derived transport fuel without adversely affecting the supply of food and other crop products, with keeping the environment clean. No serious research work has been carried out for conversion of oilgae to biodiesel in India. Present paper discusses various methods available for algae oil to biodiesel conversion. Out of them, fast pyrolysis is suitable method for production of biodiesel according to available technology in India. Keywords— fossil fuel, pollution, biomass, algae oil, biodiesel. I. INTRODUCTION nergy is essential for living and vital for development of all. Power consumption per capita represents the growth / development of the said nation and living standard of their citizens. Affordable energy directly contributes to increase productivity, reducing poverty and improving betterment of life. Declining fossil fuel production with a rising fuel demand provides the most compelling global reason for alternative fuels. So one has to think for production of such fuel which is not only potential alternatives for fossil fuels, but also eco-friendly in nature. India meets nearly 33% of its total energy requirements through imports [1]. The continued use of fossil fuels is not sustainable, as they are finite resources, limited in amount, non-renewable in nature, and their combustion would lead to increased energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Biodiesel derived from oil crops is also a potential renewable alternative to petroleum. However due to the various issues (one of them is debate between food v/s fuel), biodiesel from oil crops and animal fats is not a good choice. Moreover it can satisfy only a very small fraction of the existing demand for fuel. Biodiesel derived from green algae is the most promising renewable biofuel in biomass with the potential to completely displace petroleum-derived fuel without adversely affecting the supply of food and other crop products, with keeping the environment pollution free. Algae biodiesel is the THIRD GENERATION biofuel. An algae grow naturally in entire world. Under optimal conditions, it can be grown in massive, almost limitless in amounts, and mature within one day. Its daily production, distribution and consumption of biodiesel in an automobile is possible. II. MAPPING PATHWAYS FOR ALGAE TO BIODIESEL PRODUCTION Algae-to-biofuel production is divided into four stages, a) algae cultivation, b) biomass harvesting, c) algal oil extraction, and d) oil and residue conversion. Refer fig. 2[6]. Fig. 2: Mapping Framework for Existing and Potential Pathways for Algal Biofuel Production [6] A. Algae Cultivation Processes The purpose of algae cultivation is to grow raw algal biomass for the downstream production of fuel, based on the oil and residual components found in the biomass. In order to flourish, algae need water, carbon dioxide, and essential nutrients (sulphur, potassium, metal etc) which are collectively referred to as the culture medium; algae cultivation facilities need land or other area to occupy; and, in most cases, algae need light to drive photosynthesis [8]. The various algae cultivation method includes open pond system, closed photobioreactors (PBR), hybrid system, heterotrophic fermentation, integrated cultivation system. B. Harvesting Process Once an algal culture reaches maturity, the biomass is harvested from the culture medium and dried in preparation for conversion. At this stage, algal biomass from the E