Jonathan Trent: Energy from floating algae pods

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: Emma Zhao 校对人员: 嘉宇 王

Some years ago, I set out to try to understand

几年前，我试图去了解

if there was a possibility to develop biofuels

是否大规模开发生物燃料是可行的

on a scale that would actually compete with fossil fuels

这种生物燃料会与化石燃料竞争

but not compete with agriculture for water,

而不会与农业竞争水源，

fertilizer or land.

肥料或者土地

So here's what I came up with.

这是我想出来的

Imagine that we build an enclosure where we put it

想像一下，我们制造一个封闭的容器

just underwater, and we fill it with wastewater

我们将它放在水下，用废水

and some form of microalgae that produces oil,

以及某些产油的微藻填充它

and we make it out of some kind of flexible material

这个容器是用某种柔韧的材质做的

that moves with waves underwater,

所以它会在水下随波流动

and the system that we're going to build, of course,

当然，我们要造的这个系统

will use solar energy to grow the algae,

依靠太阳能来使海藻生长

and they use CO2, which is good,

有一点很好，海藻吸收二氧化碳

and they produce oxygen as they grow.

当海藻生长时，它们产生氧气

The algae that grow are in a container that

生长在容器里的海藻

distributes the heat to the surrounding water,

将热量散发到周围水域

and you can harvest them and make biofuels

你可以获取它们，从而制造生物燃料，

and cosmetics and fertilizer and animal feed,

化妆品，肥料和动物饲料

and of course you'd have to make a large area of this,

当然，这个容器的体积必须要足够大

so you'd have to worry about other stakeholders

所以你就得考虑其它的利益相关者

like fishermen and ships and such things, but hey,

譬如渔民和船只，诸如此类，但各位

we're talking about biofuels,

我们现在谈论的是生物燃料

and we know the importance of potentially getting

我们也知道

an alternative liquid fuel.

获得一种的替代液体燃料的重要性

Why are we talking about microalgae?

可为什么我们一定要用微藻？

Here you see a graph showing you the different types

这个图表展示了不同种类的

of crops that are being considered for making biofuels,

被认为能够制造生物燃料的农作物

so you can see some things like soybean,

你可以看到一些熟悉的农作物，比如最左边的大豆

which makes 50 gallons per acre per year,

每英亩大豆每年出产50加仑生物燃料

or sunflower or canola or jatropha or palm, and that

再往右看还有向日葵，油菜，麻风树，棕榈树 然后最右边

tall graph there shows what microalgae can contribute.

那根最高的柱子展示了微藻的贡献

That is to say, microalgae contributes between 2,000

也就是说，每年每英亩面积的海藻能贡献

and 5,000 gallons per acre per year,

2000至5000加仑生物燃料

compared to the 50 gallons per acre per year from soy.

大豆只产50加仑，（和它相比简直是微不足道）

So what are microalgae? Microalgae are micro --

那么什么是微藻呢？微藻是微小的东西

that is, they're extremely small, as you can see here

非常非常小，正如你们现在看到的

a picture of those single-celled organisms

单细胞生物体——微藻

compared to a human hair.

与人类毛发的对比图

Those small organisms have been around

那些微藻已经在地球上存在几百万年了

for millions of years and there's thousands

而且世界上有上千种

of different species of microalgae in the world,

不同种类的微藻

some of which are the fastest-growing plants on the planet,

有一些是地球上生长速度最快的植物

and produce, as I just showed you, lots and lots of oil.

它们生产，正如我刚才给大家看的，大量的油

Now, why do we want to do this offshore?

那么下一个问题：为什么我们要在沿海地区做这个呢？

Well, the reason we're doing this offshore is because

我们在沿海地区做的原因是

if you look at our coastal cities, there isn't a choice,

除了那些沿海城市，我们没有选择

because we're going to use waste water, as I suggested,

因为我们要使用废水，正如我刚才说的

and if you look at where most of the waste water

看一下大多数被废水灌溉的植物的所在地

treatment plants are, they're embedded in the cities.

它们都在城市里

This is the city of San Francisco, which has 900 miles

这里是旧金山，拥有900英里的污水管

of sewer pipes under the city already,

位于城市底下

and it releases its waste water offshore.

这些污水管把污水排放到沿海地区

So different cities around the world treat their waste water

尽管世界上不同的城市用不同方法处理污水

differently. Some cities process it.

一些城市将污水加工

Some cities just release the water.

一些城市只是排放污水

But in all cases, the water that's released is

但是不管是哪种情况，排放的污水

perfectly adequate for growing microalgae.

都完全足够微藻生长

So let's envision what the system might look like.

让我们设想一下这个系统的样子

We call it OMEGA, which is an acronym for

我们称之为OMEGA

Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae.

是Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae （沿海微藻生长围场）的缩写

At NASA, you have to have good acronyms.

在NASA（美国国家航空航天局） 你必须有好的缩写名字

So how does it work? I sort of showed you how it works already.

这个系统怎么运作？我刚才已经透露给你们一些了

We put waste water and some source of CO2

我们把废水和二氧化碳放入

into our floating structure,

流动的结构中

and the waste water provides nutrients for the algae to grow,

废水为微藻提供生长所需的营养物质

and they sequester CO2 that would otherwise go off

他们隔绝二氧化碳，阻滞它们

into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.

作为温室气体进入大气中。

They of course use solar energy to grow,

当然，他们适用能量来帮助生长，

and the wave energy on the surface provides energy

表面的波浪能量提供能量

for mixing the algae, and the temperature

混合海藻，温度

is controlled by the surrounding water temperature.

被周围水温所控制。

The algae that grow produce oxygen, as I've mentioned,

就像我刚才所说，海藻产生氧气，

and they also produce biofuels and fertilizer and food and

他们也产生生物燃料，化肥，和食物

other bi-algal products of interest.

以及其它海藻副产品

And the system is contained. What do I mean by that?

这个系统是封闭的。是什么意思呢？

It's modular. Let's say something happens that's

它是模型化的。让我们做一个

totally unexpected to one of the modules.

完全出乎意料的假设。

It leaks. It's struck by lightning.

假设它漏了。或假设它被闪电击中。

The waste water that leaks out is water that already now

流出来的废水是

goes into that coastal environment, and

原本就应被排放到海里的，

the algae that leak out are biodegradable,

而那些藻类是会自然分解的，

and because they're living in waste water,

因为他们本来就生活在废水中，

they're fresh water algae, which means they can't

他们是淡水藻类，也就是说，他们无法

live in salt water, so they die.

生活在咸水中，他们就会死去。

The plastic we'll build it out of is some kind of

我们制造出的塑料是一种

well-known plastic that we have good experience with, and

广泛使用的材料，效果很好，

we'll rebuild our modules to be able to reuse them again.

为了能使之重复利用，我们会重新构建模型。

So we may be able to go beyond that when thinking about

所以，当我们考虑我给你们展示的这个系统时，

this system that I'm showing you, and that is to say

我们可能要想个更远些，也就是说，

we need to think in terms of the water, the fresh water,

我们需要从水，特别是淡水入手，

which is also going to be an issue in the future,

因为淡水将是未来一个亟待解决的问题，

and we're working on methods now

我们现在就在研究开发

for recovering the waste water.

重新利用废水的方法。

The other thing to consider is the structure itself.

另一个需要考虑的就是这个结构本身，

It provides a surface for things in the ocean,

它在海洋中为生物提供一个表层，

and this surface, which is covered by seaweeds

在海洋中，这个被海草和其他生物

and other organisms in the ocean,

覆盖的表层，

will become enhanced marine habitat

会改善海洋栖息地，

so it increases biodiversity.

所以他会促进生物多样性的发展。

And finally, because it's an offshore structure,

最终，因为它是海岸边的结构，

we can think in terms of how it might contribute

我们还可以思考它如何促进

to an aquaculture activity offshore.

海岸边的水产养殖多样性。

So you're probably thinking, "Gee, this sounds

你可能会觉得，“天哪，这听起来

like a good idea. What can we do to try to see if it's real?"

真是个好主意。而我们又该如何知道它是否成功呢？”

Well, I set up laboratories in Santa Cruz

我在圣克鲁斯设立了一个实验室

at the California Fish and Game facility,

我的实验室就在加州渔猎局的场地，

and that facility allowed us to have big seawater tanks

那个研究室可以提供给我们大型的海水池

to test some of these ideas.

来测试我们的一些想法。

We also set up experiments in San Francisco

我们还在旧金山设了实验室，

at one of the three waste water treatment plants,

实验室就在三个处理废水的工厂之一，

again a facility to test ideas.

这里也是用来测试我们的想法的。

And finally, we wanted to see where we could look at

最后，由于我们想知道我们在哪里可以看到

what the impact of this structure would be

这个结构对海洋环境的影响，

in the marine environment, and we set up a field site

我们在一个叫做斯兰海洋实验室的地方

at a place called Moss Landing Marine Lab

设立了一个野外基地，

in Monterey Bay, where we worked in a harbor

这个基地就在蒙特雷湾，我们在那的一个海港

to see what impact this would have on marine organisms.

研究这个结构对海洋生物的影响。

The laboratory that we set up in Santa Cruz was our skunkworks.

我们设立在圣克鲁什的实验室是我们的臭鼬工厂。

It was a place where we were growing algae

我们在那培育藻类，

and welding plastic and building tools

焊接塑料制品，制造工具，

and making a lot of mistakes,

而我们也犯了许多错误

or, as Edison said, we were

或者，像爱迪生说的那样，我们

finding the 10,000 ways that the system wouldn't work.

是在寻找失败的10000种方法。

Now, we grew algae in waste water, and we built tools

现在，我们在废水中培养藻类，制造可以

that allowed us to get into the lives of algae

干预藻类生活的工具，

so that we could monitor the way they grow,

这样我们就能监控他们的生长方式，

what makes them happy, how do we make sure that

并知道什么使他们快乐和怎样确保

we're going to have a culture that will survive and thrive.

我们将创造一种环境让他们存活和壮大。

So the most important feature that we needed to develop were these

所以，我们需要开发的最重要的设备

so-called photobioreactors, or PBRs.

就是光生物反应器，简称为PBRs。

These were the structures that would be floating at the

这些光生物反应器可以漂浮在

surface made out of some inexpensive plastic material

由廉价的塑料材料覆盖的水面上，

that'll allow the algae to grow, and we had built lots and lots

这些塑料材料可以让藻类生长，我们进行了

of designs, most of which were horrible failures,

许多次的设计，但大部分都失败了，

and when we finally got to a design that worked,

当我们的设计最终成功时

at about 30 gallons, we scaled it up

我们用的只是30加仑的容器，在旧金山，

to 450 gallons in San Francisco.

我们按比例增加到了450加仑。

So let me show you how the system works.

让我给你们展示这个系统是怎样工作的。

We basically take waste water with algae of our choice in it,

我们将含有我们选择的藻类的废水注入其中，

and we circulate it through this floating structure,

然后我们让他们循环在这个漂浮着，

this tubular, flexible plastic structure,

管状的，可折叠的塑料结构中，

and it circulates through this thing,

废水在这个东西中循环

and there's sunlight of course, it's at the surface,

当然要在太阳照射下，因为它是在水面上的

and the algae grow on the nutrients.

这些藻类靠营养物生长。

But this is a bit like putting your head in a plastic bag.

但这个有点像把你的头放进塑料袋里。

The algae are not going to suffocate because of CO2,

只是藻类不会像我们一样

as we would.

由于二氧化碳而窒息。

They suffocate because they produce oxygen, and they

他们窒息是因为他们产生了氧气，

don't really suffocate, but the oxygen that they produce

他们也不是真正的窒息，但是他们产生的氧气

is problematic, and they use up all the CO2.

成了他们的问题所在，他们用光了所有的二氧化碳。

So the next thing we had to figure out was how we could

所以，下一步需要做的是知道

remove the oxygen, which we did by building this column

怎样把氧气排除，我们制造了一个圆柱体

which circulated some of the water,

水在里面循环，

and put back CO2, which we did by bubbling the system

我们在水循环之前把气泡打进去

before we recirculated the water.

因此CO2就被送了进去。

And what you see here is the prototype,

你们现在看到的这个雏形

which was the first attempt at building this type of column.

就是我们第一次制造的圆柱体。

The larger column that we then installed in San Francisco

后来在旧金山

in the installed system.

我们安装了一个较大的圆柱体。

So the column actually had another very nice feature,

因此，这个圆柱体事实上有一个非常好的特征，

and that is the algae settle in the column,

这是圆柱体里沉淀的水藻，

and this allowed us to accumulate the algal biomass

这样允许我们把藻类生物量

in a context where we could easily harvest it.

积累在一个容易收获的容器里。

So we would remove the algaes that concentrated

我们将把集中在底部的

in the bottom of this column, and then we could

藻类移走，我们就能按照程序

harvest that by a procedure where you float the algae

收获漂浮在表面的藻类

to the surface and can skim it off with a net.

并有网子捞取。

So we wanted to also investigate what would be the impact

我们也想调查这个系统

of this system in the marine environment,

对海洋环境会产生的影响，

and I mentioned we set up this experiment at a field site

我提到过，我们的野外试验基地是

in Moss Landing Marine Lab.

在Moss Landing海洋试验室。

Well, we found of course that this material became

当然我们发现这种材料

overgrown with algae, and we needed then to develop

会被海藻覆盖，我们就需要去

a cleaning procedure, and we also looked at how

设计一种清洁的方法，

seabirds and marine mammals interacted, and in fact you

我们也观察了海鸟类和海洋哺乳类的相互影响，

see here a sea otter that found this incredibly interesting,

你会看到一只海獭对此很感兴趣，

and would periodically work its way across this little

它时不时地穿梭于

floating water bed, and we wanted to hire this guy

这个小小的浮动水床，我们好想雇佣这个小家伙

or train him to be able to clean the surface

或训练它能来清洁水面

of these things, but that's for the future.

那只能等将来了。

Now really what we were doing,

我们真正在做的是，

we were working in four areas.

在研究四个领域。

Our research covered the biology of the system,

我们的研究包括这个系统的生物方面，

which included studying the way algae grew,

包括研究海藻的生长方式，

but also what eats the algae, and what kills the algae.

也包括什么东西吃海藻，什么会杀死海藻。

We did engineering to understand what we would need

我们用工程学来理解我们需要的东西

to be able to do to build this structure,

能来建造这个结构，

not only on the small scale, but how we would build it

并不是个小规模，而是将建造

on this enormous scale that will ultimately be required.

我们最终需要的大规模的成品。

I mentioned we looked at birds and marine mammals

我提到过我们观察过鸟类和海洋哺乳类

and looked at basically the environmental impact

观察过这个系统对环境的影响

of the system, and finally we looked at the economics,

最终，我们也考虑了经济因素，

and what I mean by economics is,

我所指的经济因素是，

what is the energy required to run the system?

要运行这个系统需要什么能源？

Do you get more energy out of the system

你是获得的能量多

than you have to put into the system

还是投入到这个系统的多

to be able to make the system run?

来确保系统运转？

And what about operating costs?

那运作成本呢？

And what about capital costs?

资本又是多少呢？

And what about, just, the whole economic structure?

整个经济架构有如何?

So let me tell you that it's not going to be easy,

这个可不是容易的，

and there's lots more work to do in all four

在这四个领域中有大量的工作要做

of those areas to be able to really make the system work.

才能保证这个系统工作。

But we don't have a lot of time, and I'd like to show you

但我们时间不多，我要给你们看的是

the artist's conception of how this system might look

这看起来像是艺术家的构想，

if we find ourselves in a protected bay

在一个受保护的海湾

somewhere in the world, and we have in the background

在某个地方，想象中我们的背景是

in this image, the waste water treatment plant

污水处理场

and a source of flue gas for the CO2,

和排放CO2的管道，

but when you do the economics of this system,

但当你考虑到这个系统的经济因素，

you find that in fact it will be difficult to make it work.

你会发现这个很难运作的。

Unless you look at the system as a way to treat waste water,

除非你看这个系统只是废水处理，

sequester carbon, and potentially for photovoltaic panels

固碳，和潜在的太阳能光伏板

or wave energy or even wind energy,

或者海潮发电或风力发电的可能性，

and if you start thinking in terms of

如果你开始考虑

integrating all of these different activities,

结合这些不同的活动，

you could also include in such a facility aquaculture.

你也能把海水养殖算进去。

So we would have under this system a shellfish aquaculture

所以我们会在这个系统中加上贝类养殖

where we're growing mussels or scallops.

我们会生产蚌类或扇贝。

We'd be growing oysters and things

我们会生产蛎

that would be producing high value products and food,

和生产高价值的产品和食品，

and this would be a market driver as we build the system

那我们建造的这个系统将会带动市场

to larger and larger scales so that it becomes, ultimately,

会发展越来越大，

competitive with the idea of doing it for fuels.

最终会与制作燃料的这个想法相竞争。

So there's always a big question that comes up,

所以，总会带来一个大问题，

because plastic in the ocean has got a really bad reputation

因为在海洋里用塑料名声会很糟

right now, and so we've been thinking cradle to cradle.

所以我们一直在考虑从摇篮到摇篮(新的环保理念)

What are we going to do with all this plastic that we're

我们如何处理这些

going to need to use in our marine environment?

将要用在海洋环境里的塑料呢?

Well, I don't know if you know about this,

我不清楚你是否知道，

but in California, there's a huge amount of plastic

在加州，有大量的塑料

that's used in fields right now as plastic mulch,

用于地膜，

and this is plastic that's making these tiny little greenhouses

这些塑料就在制造这些小型的温室

right along the surface of the soil, and this provides

是在地表面，

warming the soil to increase the growing season,

也提供了土地的温暖从而增加了生长季节，

it allows us to control weeds,

也允许我们控制杂草，

and, of course, it makes the watering much more efficient.

当然，也有效地利用了水分。

So the OMEGA system will be part

所以，OMEGA系统将会加入

of this type of an outcome, and that when we're finished

这个成果，等我们完成

using it in the marine environment, we'll be using it,

它在海洋环境的使用，

hopefully, on fields.

希望我们会把它用于农地。

Where are we going to put this,

我们要把它放哪，

and what will it look like offshore?

它在近海会象个什么样子呢？

Here's an image of what we could do in San Francisco Bay.

这是我们在旧金山海湾会做的一个图像。

San Francisco produces 65 million gallons a day

旧金山一天产生六千五百万加仑的废水

of waste water. If we imagine a five-day retention time

我们假设这个系统的有5天的保水时间，

for this system, we'd need 325 million gallons

我们就需要容纳三亿两千五百加仑

to accomodate, and that would be about 1,280 acres

那将是大约1280英亩的地方

of these OMEGA modules floating in San Francisco Bay.

在旧金山湾漂浮着这些OMEGA模块。

Well, that's less than one percent

比起整个海湾表面

of the surface area of the bay.

那只是不到百分之一。

It would produce, at 2,000 gallons per acre per year,

每年每英亩按生产2000加仑来算，

it would produce over 2 million gallons of fuel,

它将生产两百万加仑以上的燃料，

which is about 20 percent of the biodiesel,

那是旧金山所需生物柴油的大约20%，

or of the diesel that would be required in San Francisco,

或是旧金山所需柴油的20%，

and that's without doing anything about efficiency.

这是没有算任何的效率。

Where else could we potentially put this system?

这个系统还能放哪呢?

There's lots of possibilities.

也有很多可能性。

There's, of course, San Francisco Bay, as I mentioned.

当然我提过的旧金山湾。

San Diego Bay is another example,

圣地亚哥湾是另一个例子，

Mobile Bay or Chesapeake Bay, but the reality is,

莫比尔湾或切萨皮克湾，可现实是，

as sea level rises, there's going to be lots and lots

随着海平面的上升，将会有更多更多

of new opportunities to consider. (Laughter)

新的机会可以考虑。(笑）

So what I'm telling you about is a system

我现在讲的是一个

of integrated activities.

融合各种活动的系统。

Biofuels production is integrated with alternative energy

生物燃料产品整合了另外的能源

is integrated with aquaculture.

与水产业相融合。

I set out to find a pathway

我将寻找一个途径

to innovative production of sustainable biofuels,

创新可持续生物燃料的生产，

and en route I discovered that what's really required

途中我发现真正持续性需要的是

for sustainability is integration more than innovation.

整合多过创新。

Long term, I have great faith

长远来说，

in our collective and connected ingenuity.

我对我们的集体和连接的独创性很有信心。

I think there is almost no limit to what we can accomplish

我认为我们能够完成的几乎没有限制

if we are radically open

如果我们是完全开放的

and we don't care who gets the credit.

我们也不介意谁得到了荣誉。

Sustainable solutions for our future problems

未来问题的可持续解决方案

are going to be diverse

将会多种多样

and are going to be many.

并会有很多。

I think we need to consider everything,

我们需要样样都考虑

everything from alpha to OMEGA.

从alpha（开头）到 OMEGA（结束）.

Thank you. (Applause)

谢谢！(掌声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Chris Anderson: Just a quick question for you, Jonathan.

Chris Anderson：Jonathan，我有个小问题

Can this project continue to move forward within

这个项目能继续在NASA内部进行

NASA or do you need some very ambitious

或你需要一些有雄心的绿色能源基金

green energy fund to come and take it by the throat?

参与来掌管它的命运。

Jonathan Trent: So it's really gotten to a stage now

Jonathan Trent：现在在NASA已经到了一个阶段

in NASA where they would like to spin it out into something

他们有意将这个在近海搞出点名堂

which would go offshore, and there are a lot of issues

在美国境内做这个有很多的问题

with doing it in the United States because of limited

因为很多许可限制

permitting issues and the time required to get permits

和取得许可需要的时间限制

to do things offshore.

在近海做实验。

It really requires, at this point, people on the outside,

现在，真的需要，业外人士

and we're being radically open with this technology

我们将彻底开放这个技术

in which we're going to launch it out there

我们要在外面启动它

for anybody and everybody who's interested

对任何对此感兴趣的人

to take it on and try to make it real.

承担起来让它成为现实。

CA: So that's interesting. You're not patenting it.

CA:这很有趣。你们并不想申请专利。

You're publishing it.

你要公布它。

JT: Absolutely.

CA: All right. Thank you so much.

JT：是的。

CA：好，非常感谢。

JT: Thank you. (Applause)

谢谢。（鼓掌）