At its Los Angeles headquarters, OriginOil Inc. unveiled an algae in-house pilot system that comprises configurable, LED light sticks-illuminated 200-gallon tanks for managing different strains of algae. The system can capably produce 5 gallons of algal concentrate per minute. Settling tanks are there to separate oil from biomass and a water recycling system ensures that the process delivers again once it is fully cleaned.
In the system, the algae is forced to rotate around the lights. When algae reaches the preferred harvest concentration, it is exposed to an integrated extraction system that combines ultrasound generation and low-power electromagnetic pulsing for better production.