Bioenergy Article

Alternative Energy: Bio Fuel

Bio fuels come from organic biological masses. This may include fuels that come from alcohol, as well as natural gases and oils. Some of them can be used in cars and other engines that are combustion engines. It is a renewable type of energy that may be an alternative to our current energy crisis. Many environmentalists believe that there needs to be radical changes in how we live to protect our environment.

Various fuels are used such as corn and sugar to make ethanol. These products are grown all over the world. Gasoline is made with ethanol and is mixed into petroleum gas to raise the amount of octane in gas so that it is cleaner.

Methanol is also used in gasoline but is does not burn as cleanly as ethanol. It can be toxic in high quantitles and it is harmful to the environment. It can also be explosive. However, it is still being considered as a resource for energy.

There are other alternatives being explored such as vegetable oil. Really! Biodiesel which is a vegetable based type of energy comes from plants. It is somewhat more complicated then traditional vegetable oil but, it has similar qualities. Scientists are beginning to explore using oil as a type of fuel in mass quantities. It is made by a process called transesterification whereby, fat is separated from oil. Europe currently sells biodiesel fuel.

It is a cleaner fuel and is biodegradable. Long term usage of this type of fuel may cause blocked fuel injectors so if you use this type of oil, the injectors will need to be cleaned out regularly. It can also be used to heat boilers in commercial boilers.

Biodisel does not release carbon monoxides, It is a cleaner and safer fuel. In 1990, it did pass testing for the government’s Clean Air Act. There are no specialized storage units needed for biodiesel so it can be used in conjunction with or separately from regular petroleum gas. It does not require major engine modifications to use it.

There are some problems with biodiesel fuel such as it does not perform well in cold climates. It also may form wax crystals which clog fuel lines. So autos driven in colder climates will have more problems with their engines than those running on petroleum gasoline.

At the very least, scientists are beginning to explore alternative ways of heating homes, keeping automobiles running and alternative forms of energy. Hopefully, this will reduce the amount of money it costs to run a car and to keep our homes heated. You would think with the number of scientists working on these complex problems over the years, we would be a little further ahead!