Post brainstorming: What's the final idea?

The project that we have decided on is to design, build and implement a low-cost algae bioreactor. This bioreactor is to produce micro-algae that can be added in feed stock.

I know what you may be thinking... Do cows and chickens eat algae?

Worry not, they actually do.

Why algae?

An article from BBC "Methane: the tricky hunt for hidden emissions" that is released in March 2024, state that agriculture is the largest human source of methane emissions according to the international Energy Agency. With 60% of global methane emissions come from human activities, agriculture takes up to 40%.

That's not all! From a data collected by California non-profit coalition Climate Trace, one single cattle feedlot produced more methane than the state's biggest oil and gas fields.

Why Methane is bad for the environment?

The release of unburned methane into the air traps heat and harms the environment, contributing to climate change. While it doesn't linger as long as other greenhouse gases, methane packs a powerful punch, trapping more heat per molecule. Luckily, natural processes and chemical reactions help remove methane from the atmosphere. However, it's crucial to minimize human sources of methane emissions.

With this objective in mind, we came across a research journal "Can freshwater plants and algae act as an effective feed supplement to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock?". The result from the research gives a positive comment.

As so, we obtained our first draft of idea - making a algae bioreactor!

Too much to take in consideration! Which is more important?

When designing a product, there's always questions to ask. How much money we have? Do we have enough time to complete the project? Is there any limits in the technologies we have?

For our team, positive impact on algae is the most important and need to be prioritized. The algae that is produced need to be healthy and rich in required nutrients for the livestock. The main goal is to reduce the methane emission through adjusting the feedstock but the quality of livestock still need to take in consideration as it is also for human consumption.

With the main idea to be a low-cost algae bioreactor, the cost for this project is affordable. The only part that is more costly is the bubbler that helps the recirculation of water in the pipe.

Product durability is also part of our consideration to prevent any leakage or disturbances that might affect the alga production quality. When choosing the material for the tubing, acrylic tubing is more preferrable than airline tubing because less possibility for the formation of kinks that can damage the tubing.

The ease of repair is important for most of the product. To save cost as well as reduce the use of man power to make it a long term usage product. Any maintenance that is needed should not affect the growth of algae and to prevent algae lost.

With the feasibility analysis that we did for all of our ideas, this is the best idea amongst all - The system is made out of clear acrylic tubes connected in a loop in a rectangular shape. There will be an air vent to relieve excessive pressure. The bubbler will also be added to the system to facilitate fluid flow in the tubes. Baking soda will be added to the fluid to increase algae growth. The clear tubes allow the algae to photosynthesize to prevent the algae from dying. Arduino is used to indicate when to supply and discharge water.

Brainstorming and discussion?

Losing braincells but so much fun!

Different people different mindset. After the individual research, all of us have different ideas and we have different things to prioritize. Some say must make sure algae is nutritious, other say cost is more important. For me, I'm more curious how the design of product will look like. My teammates are very logical thinking people, so am I. And so we are engineering students, we only see facts and evidence.

From all the research journal and articles we found, finally we decide on the final objectives and the project proposal. The fun part is when I am learning new knowledge and

interesting facts from the sources especially

learning about the characteristic of algae.

Hope that we can all have fun and make this project happen! ❤️