Omega produces improved ecosystem conditions, renewable biofuels, and clean water through the use of waste products and non-invasive algae

Solvency---General

OMEGA are controlled algae blooms-prevents dead zones

Trent 4/20-22/09 [Dr. Jonathon Trent- OMEGA Global Initiative, NASA Ames Research Center, UC Santa Cruz, “Wind Sea Algae Workshop Report”, April 20-22, 2009, http://www.massey.ac.nz/~ychisti/WSA09.pdf]

It was in the process of considering ways to remediate dead zones that I thought of “Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae” (OMEGA). The idea for OMEGA emerged by analogy in contemplating the process by which people use algae to scavenge CO2 from the flue gas of power plants, which they do by bubbling the gas through cultures of algae. I reasoned that nutrients could be removed from polluted rivers by passing their water through cultures of algae enclosed in nutrient-permeable plastic bags. Using the system in rivers required freshwater algae, and by combining the idea of freshwater in containers with semi-permeable membranes, and water flowing into the ocean, I realized that by floating the OMEGA downstream into the ocean, the salt gradient between the freshwater inside the OMEGA and the saltwater outside could be used to dewater the algae by forward osmosis. The basic idea for remediating dead zones is to use the algae contained in the OMEGA bags to “filter” the nutrients out of the polluted river water, the same way Wind, Sea, Algae Workshop, Lolland, Denmark, April 2009 Page 203 that algae filter the CO2 out of flue gas. In the case of OMEGA, we have the advantage of being able to facilitate the harvesting of the algae by floating the OMEGAs downstream into the ocean and use osmosis to remove most of the water. In addition to providing biofuels and other algal products, the OMEGA system is designed to improve the situation in coastal areas where municipal waste is currently causing blooms of wild algae that are contributing to the formation of hypoxic or dead zones. The OMEGA is a controlled and contained algal bloom that enables us to bring the algae back on land to be use for biofuels and fertilizer, and etc., and prevents the wild algae from blooming and causing problems in our coastal zones. In other words, OMEGA transforms what is currently considered a waste-stream into a resource for growing algae, which captures the significant amount of nutrients we are currently losing in the ocean, and allows the ocean to resume its more natural cycles of algal blooms

New technology solves previous challenges-creates a system to effectively cultivate algae

Trent 6/10/10 [Dr. Jonathon Trent- OMEGA Global Initiative, NASA Ames Research Center, UC Santa Cruz, “Algae bioreactor using submerged enclosures with semi-permeable membranes”, June 10, 2010, http://www.google.com/patents/WO2010065862A1?cl=en]

Various species of algae are known to produce valuable products ranging from food to fertilizer to biofuels. The large-scale commercial production of these algae however, particularly for commodity products like biofuels, has been limited by the unfavorable economics of the current cultivation and harvesting methods. The two dominant cultivation methods are (1) open raceways and (2) closed bioreactors and two of the dominant harvesting methods are (1) centrifugation and (2) tangential-flow filtration. These cultivation approaches have problems with high associated operating costs, high land costs, uncontrolled evaporation, contamination and/or limited flexibility. What is needed is a relatively low cost, low maintenance approach for cultivation of the algae and separation of the algae and/or other microorganisms from other substances. Preferably, the approach should have little or no evaporation or contamination problems and should allow flexibility in throughput, algae choice and other parameters that affect the resulting product(s). Summary of the Invention. These needs are met by the invention, which provides a system for cultivating microorganisms, such as algae, some of which are products in themselves and others produce useful byproducts, including oil, food additives, fertilizers, nutriceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. This new cultivating system is an enclosure consisting of plastic or similar bags with patches of inflatable, semi-permeable membranes incorporated into their surfaces. These bags are used in aquatic environments where the water provides infrastructural support through flotation and temperature regulation, the water motion provides mixing within the bag from currents and wave action, and in some locations (e.g., "dead zones") the water chemistry in the surrounding water provides the required nutrients for growing algae or other microorganisms. In addition, by cultivating freshwater organisms in bags deployed in a marine or brackish environment, the surrounding salt water provides a means of dewatering the contents of the bag using patches of membranes that permit forward osmosis (FO). This invention solves many of the current problems associated with cultivating algae in open pond raceways or closed bioreactors on land. These problems include competing land-uses and environmental impact, water requirements, evaporation control, contamination control, temperature regulation, provision of energy for mixing and harvesting, and invasion by "weed" species. The invention also contributes to the remediation of dead zones by removing polluting nutrients and reduces global warming by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This new system can also be used for cultivating aquatic organisms, including algae and/or other micro-organisms, provided there is a chemical gradient between the growth conditions inside the enclosure and the surrounding environment. The system can also be used for dewatering. Brief Description of the Drawings.

OMEGA solves for contamination by withdrawing and repurposing harmful nutrients that cause dead zones.

Soderman, Teague. 12 Senior Technical Writer for NASA, writing in scientific community for over 7 years. "Offshore Membrane Enclosure for Growing Algae (OMEGA)." Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. NASA, May 2012. Web. 14 July 2014.

The NLSI recorded this video of PI Jonathan Trent presenting the OMEGA project at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field California. You can view the video by double clicking on the image above or you can download the file directly to your computer here. [324.2 MB .mp4 file; 0:58:10 run time]¶ The OMEGA system consists of large plastic bags with inserts of forward-osmosis membranes that grow freshwater algae in processed wastewater by photosynthesis. Using energy from the sun, the algae absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and nutrients from the wastewater to produce biomass and oxygen. As the algae grow, the nutrients are contained in the enclosures, while the cleansed freshwater is released into the surrounding ocean through the forward-osmosis membranes.¶ “The OMEGA technology has transformational powers. It can convert sewage and carbon dioxide into abundant and inexpensive fuels,” said Matthew Atwood, president and founder of Algae Systems. “The technology is simple and scalable enough to create an inexpensive, local energy supply that also creates jobs to sustain it.”¶ When deployed in contaminated and “dead zone” coastal areas, this system may help remediate these zones by removing and utilizing the nutrients that cause them. The forward-osmosis membranes use relatively small amounts of external energy compared to the conventional methods of harvesting algae, which have an energy intensive de-watering process.¶ Potential benefits include oil production from the harvested algae, and conversion of municipal wastewater into clean water before it is released into the ocean. After the oil is extracted from the algae, the algal remains can be used to make fertilizer, animal feed, cosmetics, or other valuable products. This successful spinoff of NASA-derived technology will help support the commercial development of a new algae-based biofuels industry and wastewater treatment.¶ “The reason why algae are so interesting is because some of them produce lots of oil,” said Jonathan Trent, the lead research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. “In fact, most of the oil we are now getting out of the ground comes from algae that lived millions of years ago. Algae are still the best source of oil we know.”¶ Algae are similar to other plants in that they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, and use phosphates, nitrogen, and trace elements to grow and flourish. Unlike many plants, they produce fatty, lipid cells loaded with oil that can be used as fuel.¶ “The inspiration I had was to use offshore membrane enclosures to grow algae. We’re going to deploy a large plastic bag in the ocean, and fill it with sewage. The algae use sewage to grow, and in the process of growing they clean up the sewage,” said Trent.¶ It is a simple, but elegant concept. The bag will be made of semi-permeable membranes that allow fresh water to flow out into the ocean, while retaining the algae and nutrients. The membranes are called “forward-osmosis membranes.” NASA is testing these membranes for recycling dirty water on future long-duration space missions. They are normal membranes that allow the water to run one way. With salt water on the outside and fresh water on the inside, the membrane prevents the salt from diluting the fresh water. It’s a natural process, where large amounts of fresh water flow into the sea.¶ Floating on the ocean’s surface, the inexpensive plastic bags will be collecting solar energy as the algae inside produce oxygen by photosynthesis. The algae will feed on the nutrients in the sewage, growing rich, fatty cells. Through osmosis, the bag will absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and release oxygen and fresh water. The temperature will be controlled by the heat capacity of the ocean, and the ocean’s waves will keep the system mixed and active.¶ When the process is completed, biofuels will be made and sewage will be processed. For the first time, harmful sewage will no longer be dumped into the ocean. The algae and nutrients will be contained and collected in a bag. Not only will oil be produced, but nutrients will no longer be lost to the sea. According to Trent, the system ideally is fail proof. Even if the bag leaks, it won’t contaminate the local environment. The enclosed fresh water algae will die in the ocean.¶ The bags are expected to last two years, and will be recycled afterwards. The plastic material may be used as plastic mulch, or possibly as a solid amendment in fields to retain moisture.¶ When astronauts go into space, they must bring everything they need to survive. Living quarters on a spaceship require careful planning and management of limited resources.¶ “We have to remember,” Trent said, quoting Marshall McLuhan: “we are not passengers on spaceship Earth, we are the crew.”¶ Teague Soderman of the NASA Lunar Science Institute had the opportunity to talk with Trent about the OMEGA project in the context of NASA space exploration. Listen to a short audio podcast here [11:53 min-- 120 MB .wav file].¶

OMEGA can be used on a large scale; it holds the capacity of being able to replace current fuel sources.

Hoppin, Jason. "A Green Future: NASA's $10 Million Project Explores Algae of as Fuel Source." Santacruzsentinel.com. Santa Cruz Sentinel, 18 May 2012. Web. 14 July 2014.

SANTA CRUZ - Near the end of a line of windswept buildings, on Santa Cruz's Westside, sits a lab that may hold the key to everything from galactic space travel to peace in the Middle East.¶ For two years, a team of NASA researchers have been using a borrowed state Department of Fish and Game lab to test a potential new energy source by using treated wastewater to grow algae, which can produce a fuel that has already been tested on jets and may one day be used for spaceships.¶ Called the OMEGA Project, the $10 million study is being headed by Santa Cruz resident Jonathan Trent, a NASA scientist who has assembled a team of 20 researchers to explore the one of the most talked-about potential sources of biofuels.¶ Trent said his research shows promise, and because it uses treated human wastewater to feed the algae and grow fuel - a process which also leaves the water even cleaner - and could provide a sustainable solution to the problem of scarce resources as humans push deeper into space.¶ "That's a fundamental problem that NASA's been working on for decades. And that fundamental concept is at the heart of the OMEGA Project," Trent said.¶ But the research also could have earthbound benefits as well. What Trent is trying to develop is a system of large-scale offshore algae cultivation. He envisions it becoming a primary alternative to fossil fuels, saying the technology has already drawn international interest.¶ "We've got to move quickly because we don't have much time to figure out how this is going to work," Trent said, citing problems with the country's reliance of foreign energy sources.

OMEGA can solve dead zone formation on a large scale because of nutrient absorbing qualities.

P. Wiley et. al, L. Harris, S. Reinsch, S. Tozzi, T. Embaye, K. Clark, B. McKuin, Z. Kolber, R. Adams, H. Kagawa, T. Richardson, J. Malinowski, C. Beal, M. Claxton, E. Geiger, J. Rask, J. Campbell and J. Trent, "Microalgae Cultivation Using Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae (OMEGA)," Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems, Vol. 3 No. 1, 2013, pp. 18-32. doi: 10.4236/jsbs.2013.31003.

The proposed OMEGA system is designed to grow microalgae in wastewater contained in a flexible, clear, plastic PBRs attached to a floating infrastructure anchored offshore in protected bays. The offshore placement allows the system to be in close proximity to wastewater treatment plants and sources of flue gas, eliminating the need to pump these wastes long distances to remote locations where land resources for algae cultivation may he available. By using wastewater for water and nutrients and by not using arable land the OMEGA system avoids competing with agriculture or disrupting urban infrastructure in the vicinity of waste-water treatment plant. On a scale relevant to biofuels, OMEGA will be intrusive in the maritime environment, although it Is possible that a Iarge flotilla of PBRs may have beneficial effects in coastal areas. The OMEGA system would remove nutrients from wastewater that is currently discharged into coastal waters and may there-by mitigate “dead-zone " formation. The infrastructure would provide substrate, refugia, and habitat for an extensive community of sessile and associated organisms. It is known that introduced surfaces in the marine environment become colonized and can form “artificial reefs” or act as “fish aggregating devices,” which increase local species diversity and expand the food web. A large-scale deployment of Omega systems may also act as floating “turf scrubbers” and function to absorb anthropogenic pollutants, improving coastal water quality.

Solvency—OMEGA reduces the Carbon footprint—Recycles waste, absorbs CO2, and acts as farm fertilizer

Bob Yirka 2012 (Bob Yirka, April 16, 2012 “NASA shows off new algae farming technique for making biofuel” Phys.org http://phys.org/news/2012-04-nasa-algae-farming-technique-biofuel.html
NASA is clearly looking far into the future for a way to handle both human waste and a need for fuel on either long space flights or when attempting to colonize another planet. To that end, they’ve assigned life support engineer Jonathan Trent the task of coming up with a way to use algae to solve both problems at once. His solution is to use plastic bags floating in seawater as small bioreactors, containing wastewater, sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow algae that can be used as a means to create biofuel The whole thing is called Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae or more concisely, OMEGA, and will be demonstrated to reporters at one of San Francisco’s public utilities water pollution control plants tomorrow and is the culmination of $10 million worth of research. The idea is more practical than revolutionary says Trent, who has spoken to reporters already about the project. The idea was to figure out a way to create an algae farm that could be placed close to a waste treatment facility, without taking up a bunch of land. That’s when he came up with idea of using plastic bags floating in the ocean. Conventional systems use large pools of water set up on dry land. In the test facility, each bag is four meters long and has been seeded with wastewater and carbon dioxide. Sunlight makes its way through the clear plastic as the bags float on seawater, which not only serves as a place for the bags to reside, but also help keep the algae cool, which must be done mechanically in other facilities. The algae eat the wastewater and grow until the bag is filled, at which point it is removed to be used for making biofuel. Reports thus far show that algae farms set up in this manner would be capable of producing over two and a half million gallons of fuel annually in an area just under two square miles. Trent says with a real farm, the carbon dioxide could come from nearby power plants, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the whole process. Not helping, on the other hand, is that the whole scheme is based on petroleum based plastic bags, which in addition to their inherent carbon footprint would also have to be disposed of once a year as they degrade in saltwater. Trent suggests that California farmer’s could use them (the Algae bags) as field cover instead of the large tarps they currently use.