Patent ID: 8313648

Claim:
A method of making biofuels, comprising: a. dewatering an algal cell culture comprising intact algal cells to generate a wet algal biomass; b. adding a first ethanol fraction to the wet algal biomass in a ratio of about 1 part ethanol to about 1 part algal biomass by weight to generate first solid biomass fraction and a first liquid fraction comprising proteins; c. separating the first solid biomass fraction from the first liquid fraction comprising proteins; d. combining the first solid biomass fraction with a second ethanol fraction in a ratio of about 1 part ethanol to about 1 part solid biomass by weight to generate a second solid biomass fraction from a second liquid fraction comprising polar lipids; e. separating the second solid biomass fraction from the second liquid fraction comprising polar lipids; f. combining the second solid biomass fraction with a third ethanol solvent fraction in a ratio of about 1 part ethanol to about 1 part solid biomass by weight to generate a third solid biomass fraction from a third liquid fraction comprising neutral lipids, wherein the third solid biomass fraction comprises carbohydrates and the third solid biomass fraction comprises intact algal cells; g. separating the third solid biomass fraction from a third liquid fraction comprising neutral lipids, wherein the first liquid fraction has a higher protein concentration than the second and third liquid fractions, the second liquid fraction has a higher polar lipids concentration than the first and third liquid fractions, and the third liquid fraction has a higher neutral lipids concentration than the first and second liquid fractions; h. simultaneously transesterifying and esterifying the neutral lipids with an enzyme catalyst in the presence of an alcohol to produce a water soluble fraction comprising glycerin and a water insoluble fraction comprising fuel esters; i. separating the water soluble fraction comprising glycerin from the water insoluble fraction comprising fuel esters; j. distilling the fuel esters under vacuum to obtain a C16 or shorter fuel esters fraction, a C16 or longer fuel ester fraction, and a residue comprising carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids; k. hydrodeoxygenating at least one of (i) the C16 or shorter fuel esters to obtain a jet fuel blend stock and (ii) the C16 or longer fuel esters to obtain a diesel blend stock.