Youth Venture

VERSATILE stands for: Village-Energy-Reactor-Solar-Algae-Technology-Integrated-Life-Enhancement.

Inspiration for building this system came from a variety of sources. After writing a report and giving a presentation for a biology class on algae last semester, I became interested in pursuing algae. I am interested in helping the 90% of the world which lives in poverty and came up of the idea of harnessing algae's power for their good. I am amazed at the power of Algae. Algae can purify water (with the help of bacteria), sequester carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, can be used as a food and energy/fuel source.
My venture idea is to bring the VERSATILE system to life and to benefit those in poverty, "the other 90%."
The VERSATILE bioreactor system uses solar energy to clean wastewater, sequester CO2 from ovens, and produce fuel, food and biomass in a carbon neutral manner. Algae are the heart of this integrated system which ties together existing technologies of: PlayPump, S.C.O.R.E.-oven, algae bioreactor, flush-latrine, methane-producing anaerobic compost bin, algae oil expeller.
Carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide directed from S.C.O.R.E-oven exhaust vents mixed with nitrogen, phosphate and ammonia from latrine waste (bacteria has already digested organic waste) accelerate algae growth in bioreactor. Algae uses sunlight to convert this waste into clean water, oxygen and algae biomass to create biofuel, methane (upon anaerobic decomposition), food for people and livestock.
The PlayPump converts children's play into electricity to power the algae oil expeller and algae churner (maximizes photosynthesis).
Excess algae biomass plus household waste goes into compost bin for anaerobic decomposition into methane, which fuels the ovens. A weighted plastic tarp minimizes oxygen content in the compost bin. Methane is captured by a tube attached to the tarp.
The innovative VERSATILE System creates synergy by tightly knitting together a variety of existing technologies in a simple efficient way affordable to the 90% of the world surviving on $1 per day.