Researchers at the Kumamoto University have looked to reduce the costs of biodiesel production using pulsed electric fields (PEF) to extract hydrocarbons from microalgae. The researchers used a PEF system that uses an alternating current (AC) and DC power supply to produce hydrogen gas (H2) by splitting water into its constituent parts. While PEF weakens the cell walls of the algae, nsPEF separates hydrocarbons from a matrix, rather than extracting them from the cell, which ultimately destroys the organism.
Researchers at the Kumamoto University have looked to reduce the costs of biodiesel production using pulsed electric fields (PEF) to extract hydrocarbons from microalgae. Unlike other similar projects, the scientists at Kumamoto have used nanosecond PEF (nsPEF), which requires less energy than PEF. While PEF weakens the cell walls of the algae, nsPEF separates hydrocarbons from a matrix, rather than extracting them from the cell, which ultimately destroys the organism.