Dr. Ravi Prasad
Helios-NRG
Dr. Prasad is the co-founder and president of Helios-NRG which provides technology consulting services and is
developing clean and renewable energy technologies. He is a former Praxair Corporate Fellow with over 60 patents,
30 publications and 30 years of broad industrial experience in developing and commercializing new technologies.
He is a recognized technical expert in gas separations. He established Praxair's skill center in ceramic ion transport membranes,
led programs in IGCC, combustion and oxygen. He established and managed Praxair's polymeric membrane process skill center.
He was a founding member of the major international alliance involving Praxair and five Fortune-500 companies to develop step-change
syngas technology for GTL. He directed Praxair's initiative in Emerging Technologies, and developed corporate strategy
for Asian technology centers. He consults with DOE in several of their national programs related to CCS, clean fuels, gasification
recently chaired review of DOE's Carbon Capture program.
Algal Transformation of CO2 into Bio-fuels
Abstract: This project is aimed at the development of a novel integrated technology to produce biodiesel and hydrogen from preferred
algae species at superior efficiency by utilizing CO2 emitted by fossil fueled industries. Our technology is differentiated by >90%
CO2 capture efficiency, ability to handle high CO2 concentrations in flue gas, exceptional growth rates, and the ability to convert
a very high % of biomass to value added fuels. This technology can potentially reduce the fossil fuel consumption and simultaneously
cut CO2 emission from large industrial sources (e.g. coal utilities) by 50%.
Phase I established the feasibility of the proposed concept - superior algae species were identified, preferred culture technology
developed, high algae productivities achieved and >90% CO2 capture efficiency demonstrated. Phase II is aimed at advancing the
technology to enable the development of a demonstration plant in Phase III.