Alcohol Fuel from
Renewable Resources
Alcohol fuel, like ethanol fuel, methanol, butanol, and propanol are best made from renewable energy stocks, if working towards a more sustainable future. Still, fossil fuel has been the dominant source in modern time, even though alcohol has been used as a fuel long through history. The primarily used fossil source is
natural gas,
especially when making
methanol.
The interest in alcohols is because they can be synthesized both chemically or biologically, and they have qualities which permit them to be used in existing engines. When obtained from biological materials, alcohols are known as bio alcohols. Otherwise, there is no chemical difference between alcohol fuel being produced biologically or chemically. But as we know, we need to find and develop more alternative energy resources. And there are different
alternative fuel sources
that can be used for making alcohols, like various crops, trees and grass. Is is even possible to
recycling newspaper
into alcohol. Methanol and
ethanol
fuel have been the most popular among the alcohols, and vehicles have got upgraded fuel system and engine components to allow usage of fuel blends. The "flex fuel" vehicles have been adapted to tolerate blends up to 85% - E85 or M85. The big ethanol country Brazil has even developed a total flex car that manages to run on 100 percent ethanol – E100.
Alcohol fuel, mainly methanol, can be used in fuel cells,
which can run a vehicle but also be used for a lot of other purposes. However, this technique is not so well developed yet.PROS- High
octane "rating"
(which has nothing to do with octane content), a quality that tends to increase fuel efficiency.
- The fuel can be produced locally.
- Emission of carbon dioxide is less.
- It is formed fewer small particles during combustion.
CONS- Low energy density so fuel consumption will be higher (butanol got a higher density).
- The manufacturing process is energy-intensive.
- The fuel can cause starting problems in cold weather.
- Alcohols can be rather aggressive, which gets iron to rust and plastic to soften. Special hoses and tanks are needed. This doesn't apply to butanol.
- All alcohol has a toxic effect.
- The need of water can be rather high.
The alcohol that seems more promising and that shares the Pros but not much of the Cons mentioned is
biobutanol.
I am pretty sure we'll here more about this fuel further on. So keep your eyes and ears open for that one! Important Features An important feature when comparing different fuels is the energy density, which has implications for the amount of fuel required. We also need to know the energy conversion efficiency (ratio between energy output and input), and the embodied energy; the sum of energy inputs, in monetary as well as in environmental terms. Included in the embodied energy are the costs and impacts of producing the feedstock, the raw material for the fuel. The selection of
green fuel
stocks has far reaching impacts on the environment and on people, and it is therefore of big importance that we evaluate them properly. And to be able to evaluate we need to learn, so why not browse to
biomass energy
and learn more about different raw material for biofuel!
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