The Algae Appliance is a Dewatering device. They do have a cellular fracturing technology, that extracts both oil and Biomass, and leaves the solutions in Biomass>water> oil layers. However, I have not heard anything about that for a long ass time, I imagine they figured out it was not cost scalable or something along those lines. While working with the DOE, they changed focus to dewatering to create an Algae "crude" standard, that can be supplied to multiple downstream processes. the "crude" has to be further refined to extract the oil and biomass, using various processes based on the end product needed. Some are probably costs effective and some not. Fuels are still far from cost effective, but the technology will catch up eventually.
I think a more major concern with Algae, is the phosphates needed for growth; they have Nitrogen covered, but it appears to me that the only way to effectively grow algae without compounding our future Fertilizer catastrophe that is 30-40 years away, is to only use waste streams or deep ocean pumping, as the top layers of water have less nutrients than are desirable.
with our current crop production, we waste untold amounts of Phosphates, that run into the ocean and devastate wildlife. Algae farms set up to capture that runoff would be a great idea, any way you look at it. I think Algae definitely has a large part to play in many industries going forward, but I have come to terms with the fact that, solar/electricity and hydrogen production are really the only feasible ways to fix our future energy concerns, so fas as we know right now. Advanced graphene batteries, so we don't waste every ounce of Lithium on earth, and solar powered Hydrogen "farms".
I know you love coal, and yes it could sustain us for a while, but you can't in all seriousness claim that it is a good solution to the problems we face int he future.
