The Oil (from algae) Prize

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Permalink Reply by Jim Martin on October 9, 2008 at 12:48pm

Consider a spiral for algae production. Start with what you want near the center. As the water with algae flow outward through the spiral, contaminants that enter are carried outward. Collect the products near the outer edge and separate the useful products.

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Permalink Reply by Larry M. Aden on January 13, 2009 at 8:48pm

As an aquaculturist and terrestrial farmer, I agree with the basic concentric ring design.
But, a major advantage shown in James' calculations is in the polyculture of high quality fish protein in these waters. Fish do not need much surface area, but need constant care, so narrow raceways with driveways on each side are best. Furthermore, fish swim in schools in circles and get abrasions from having to make abrupt turns in square-cornered tanks. Optimum convection for these towers can be most efficiently achieved by building them on the peaks of hills, thus each larger concentric circle would also be downhill, so gravity would naturally move water outward thru the system, making the outer rings carry the highest biological load, and being the most fertile, would produce the most phytoplankton. Fish need cleaner water, higher oxygen levels and less space when they are younger, so the fry can be started in the higher, cleaner, smaller interior raceway, then moved downward and outward as they grow.
For efficient use of space, the general layout should be concentric circles, but the general movement of water and fish could still be roughly spiral.
But GMO's have no place in human food production, nor in fish culture, in general, as fish are more delicate creatures than terrestrial animals.
We have plenty of natural plankton species to work with thru natural selection.

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