Patent ID: 8308949

Claim:
A method of making biofuels, comprising: a. dewatering an algal culture comprising intact algal cells to make a wet algal biomass comprising intact algal cells; b. combining the wet algal biomass with a first solvent set, the solvent set consisting of one or more amphiphilic solvents, to make a first extraction mixture, wherein the weight of the first solvent set is about the same as the weight of the wet algal biomass; c. separating the first extraction mixture into a first liquid phase comprising proteins and a first solid phase; d. combining the first solid phase with a second amphiphilic solvent set to make a second extraction mixture, wherein the weight of the amphiphilic solvent set is about the same as the weight of the first solid phase; e. separating the second extraction mixture into a second liquid phase comprising polar lipids and a second solid phase; f. combining the second solid phase with ethanol in a ratio of about 10 parts ethanol to about 1 part wet algal biomass by weight, under conditions wherein the intact algal cells remain intact, to generate a third extraction mixture comprised of a third solid phase and a third liquid phase comprising neutral lipids; g. separating the third solid phase from the third liquid phase comprising neutral lipids to generate a neutral lipids rich fraction; h. esterifying the neutral lipids with a catalyst in the presence of an alcohol to generate an esterified mixture comprised of a water soluble fraction comprising glycerin from a water insoluble fraction comprising fuel esters; i. separating the water soluble fraction from the water insoluble fraction; 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; and k. hydrogenating and deoxygenating 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.