Green Transformer

Algae Landscape Design Example: Green Transformer
Solar-powered algae refinery floats on water

Designed for the 2010 Seoul International Design Competition by Yi Liu, Luo Jing and Jiang Yu-ning. Hosted by Seoul Metropolitan Government, aiming to emerge as an ‘attractive world city’ and ‘soft city’ through design, welcoming dynamic ideas to realize even better lives for the future citizens. The Competition envisions the realization of an egalitarian society and human values through design proposals that are easy, convenient, and pleasant to use.

The Green Transformer is a concept algae refinery that is supposed to extract valuable bio-oil from algae in pools and ponds. The entirely solar-powered, floating processing plant makes use of a certain chemical additive during the suction to produce biodiesel for automobile and vessels. Moreover, the mechanism helps in removing pollutants from our water bodies.

The Green Transformer folds itself and the solar panels as well when it is not in use. Where the fan-like solar canopy shelters the algae under it, an oil tanks at its center collects oil for future use. Featuring a design we need to survive the energy crisis, this contrivance was highly acknowledged at the Seoul Competition. Source: GreenDiary.com.