Are Biofuels the answer to America’s energy crisis?
March 31, 2008
Biofuel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulphur and aromatics. Biofuel is a renewable energy, but there is some controversy that it is not sustainable due to the harvesting of biomass and the byproducts produced during the burning of biofuels. Biofuel is also seen as an environmentally friendly substitute to pollution-producing oil. Chinese economic planners have made the development of green energies such as ethanol fuel and biodiesel a key priority in the country’s five-year economic plan.
Biofuel is non-toxic and biodegradable. Moreover, the flash point (the temperature at which a fuel will ignite when exposed to a spark or flame) is 300 degrees Fahrenheit, well above petroleum fuel’s flashpoint of 125 degrees. Biofuel is a gas or liquid that is derived from plant material. Ethanol (made from grains) and biodiesel (made from things like vegetable oils) are the two most common types. Biofuel is a cleaner alternative that can be used for current machineries as an energy source. What’s more, they are more environmentally sound to use.
Biofuel is currently in use in school districts for heating, school bus fleets for transportation, the military, commercial fleets and government buildings and our very own diesel oil trucks and tractor trailers. We also use it in our own homes and office. Biofuel is made from biomass. Biofuel is the term for biomass that has been converted into liquid fuel. Biofuel is an inefficient and environmentally harmful “alternative” to oil that allows people to continue to consume fuel at an extremely wasteful and irresponsible rate. There are a few reasons for biofuel’s inefficiency.
Biodiesel is a fuel that is made from the long-chain esters (fatty acids) from plants. These are usually concentrated in a few parts of the plant such as seeds. Biodiesel is also rapidly biodegradable and completely non-toxic, meaning spillages represent far less of a risk than fossil diesel spillages. Thus, making it safer in the event of a crash. Biodiesel is, naturally, a compromise for this reason, but still balances positively on the energy scales. There are energy plants available that will produce a higher yield in kWh per area, but the simplicity of having a fuel that is fully compatible with present fuel and engine technology makes it very attractive.
Biodiesel is renewable and contributes less to global warming than fossil fuels due to its closed carbon cycle. Because the primary feedstock for biodiesel is a biologically-based oil or fat, which can be grown season after season, biodiesel is renewable. Biodiesel is the first and only alternative fuel to have a complete evaluation of emission results and potential health effects submitted to the U.S. These programs include the most stringent emissions testing protocols ever required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives in the US. Biodiesel is also being used for fleets of snowplows, garbage trucks, mail trucks, and military vehicles. So far, the use of biodiesel has been limited to fleets of vehicles that have their owner fueling stations.
Biodiesel is far superior to petro diesel in all ways except cold weather performance. It is much safer, biodegrades faster if spilled, is non toxic, burns much cleaner, has higher lubricity, is Eco friendly, and is made from renewable resources instead of a dwindling supply of petro diesel. Biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester-based oxygenated fuels made from hemp oil, other vegetable oils or animal fats. The concept of using vegetable oil as an engine fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Biodiesel is a mild solvent that will clean petrodiesel crud out of tanks and engines even at lower blends, so fuel filter changes may be necessary during initial use. B100 contains 10-12% less energy than an equal weight of petrodiesel but is denser in the tank, so the reduction in mileage and peak power is only 3-7%.
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