Alternative Fuel (Essay Sample)

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Alternative Fuels: Bio fuels
Introduction
Fuel has been part and parcel of the evolution of both man and machine. According to Darwinism, the first source of fuel or energy was fire discovered by the early man. The technology at the time reflects the capabilities of the energy source. The progress continues until petroleum is discovered in early 19th century. This discovery leads to the unrivalled innovation of steam engines, internal combustion engines among others. Petroleum has successfully fuelled both the industrial and the technology age (Demirbas 34) .Despite its track record, the use of petroleum has led to the slow degradation of the environment. Unnoticeable at first, the effects of prolonged petroleum use have led to global warming.
Global warming is the continued increase of global temperatures. This is caused by the destruction of the Ozone layer responsible for protecting the earth from certain rays from the sun. The combustion of petroleum products creates exhaust. Exhaust is laden with carbon II oxide and other poisonous gases that cause global warming. Oil spills and acid rain are other effects of oil usage.
The 21st century has experienced environmental changes due to the global warming phenomenon. Rise of the sea levels, tsunamis, drought are among the results of global warming. These effects have led to an international outcry concerning the use of petroleum. International bodies like the United Nations are lobbying and advocating for the use of alternative sources of fuel. These alternatives will assist in the reduction of global warming (Demirbas 47)
.
This paper will look at one solution that is revolutionary in the fight for the environment. The use of bio fuels as a petroleum alternative.
Body
The use petroleum is widespread across all sectors especially the transportation sector. Removal of petroleum and its products as the main source of energy is out of the question. Its eradication would lead to the dumping of technology. Solutions such as wind and solar energy are viable but limited in their applications. Bio fuels, on the other hand, offer a close alternative both in terms of structure and combustion.
The energy from a biofuel is extracted by carbon fixation. This makes biofuels fit in the green initiative being promoted by all companies worldwide. The process of carbon fixation is biological compared to the chemical combustion of petroleum. Bio fuels is a class of fuels that is derived from the conversion of biomass (solid or liquid), liquid fuels and biogases. To most people, biofuels is the environmental replica of petroleum.
Replacing petroleum is almost impossible some might say, considering the innovation in the energy sector. Replacing is almost impossible because of the reliability and power provided by petroleum. Majority of the engines manufactured are usually diesel or petrol engines. Also fortunes of individuals and countries are attributed to petroleum. Despite these hurdles, bio fuels and other alternatives have a promising future. This is because of the growing international concern about the environment and human’s innate instinct of self-preservation.
Production
Bio fuels and bio diesels are all extracted from crops and plants. The first stage in the production of these alternatives commences with the sun (Demirbas 23). The sun is the primary source of energy used in the growth of plants. Specialized crops known as feedstocks are cultivated for the special purpose of producing biofuels. Examples of plants used as feedstocks include; corn, sugar and forests. Wood a by-product of trees is used in the production of liquid biofuels such as ethanol and methanol.
Some crops produce their own natural oils; these oils are used in the production of the biofuels. The natural oils include; algae, soybean and palm oil. The natural oils are unique compared to other biofuels. They can be burned directly in order to produce energy. This property enables them to be blended with other petroleum products forming powerful fuels.
Biomass is another form of biofuel that is derived from the living and dying organisms. Biomass has a rich history for example the classic case of wood: biomass used in the production of fire. Biomass is categorized into; generation of electricity and heat production. The former is achieved via the use of steam turbines while the latter is utilized through combustion. There is recent research of bio-active agents that increase biomass activity. This results in a catalyzing reaction that leads to the efficient production of biofuels.
Vegetable oils are also used as biofuels through their conversion into burnable fuel. This fuel is commonly used in majority of engines using both alternative and petroleum fuels. The research into improving the production of bio fuels is still underway. The future for the production of biofuels will improve as technology improves.
Classification
Bio fuels are the most promising renewable energy sector. Their ability to fit into the existing fuel system is the reason for this. Bio fuels are a recent innovation and their generations of bio fuels do not exceed two. The first generation of bio fuels was based on sugars, starch and vegetable oils. This generation is mainly comprised of alcohols such as ethanol, propanol and butanol. These alcohols are produced from the fermentation of sugars and starch. Ethanol is more popular compared to the other alcohols in this generation. Ethanol is being used on a worldwide scale making it the most common biofuel. Ethanol can be used as a replacement of gasoline in cars. Most engines can run on the blend of ethanol and gasoline in recommended mixtures. Despite its versatility, ethanol has a low energy density. Meaning more ethanol is used for the same work produced by gasoline. Bio ethanol fireplace is another application for the biofuel. The previous demerit is also noted; less heat is produced compared to electricity and others sources of energy. Other first generation biofuels face a steep challenge in providing the required energy despite their environmental friendliness.
Second generation biofuels are produced from feedstock (Tabak 12). The biofuels are an undergoing technology and include; Algae fuel, biomethanol, cellulosic ethanol among others.
Experiments of algae as a source of fuel were undertaken from 1978 – 1996. Articles from this research describe algae as key in the replacement of oil fuel. The algae fuel has increased oil content compared to previous biofuels. Algae are rich in oil and can be combined with other biofuels to create powerful mixtures. This in the long run is positive both for economy and the environment. Algae as an energy resource are free and their cultivation easy. Its cultivation requires ponds in wastewater treatment plants and sunlight. Commercial production of algae is not available at the moment because the technology required is not yet available.
Another second generation biofuel is cellulosic ethanol. Its production process involves non-food crops such as the woody substance found in crops (lignocelluloses). This infers that cellulosic ethanol does not interfere with established animal and human food chains. The feedstock for this biofuel is everywhere and it helps in solving the disposal problem of crops (Tabak 74). The extraction of cellulose from plants employs the same process as ruminant livestock. Fungal enzyme catalysts and increase of temperatures are some of the conditions that make the process economically feasible. The production process is still being improved via research in cellulose.
Recent research
Being a young industry, the biofuel industry is concentrating on research. The research is aimed at improving current methods of production and innovation of other biofuels. The sustainability and the impact on the environment by the biofuels is also a concern. Majority of researchers are concentrating their efforts on large-scale algae cultivation, biomass structure and its conversion into fuel. The deconstruction and conversion of lignocelluloses is also a field that interests researchers.
The mass production of alga as a biomass feedstock is an area that researchers are focusing on. This is due to the profitability of this venture. The development of new strains of alga that will produce oil in effective ways, improved extraction techniques are also being looked at (Scragg 45)
. Their success will ensure that alga production and extraction is a feasible venture for biofuel companies.
Ethanol production is also being revolutionized with the introduction of thermophilic bacterium. This bacterium has the ability of simultaneously pentose and hexose sugars to produce ethanol. This improves the mass production techniques of ethanol.
Research into Ethanol-burning combustion engines (I.C.E) is underway. These engines run on ethanol-based fuels and blended gasoline fuels. The engines will be used in studying the combustion characteristics of the mentioned fuels.
Other research fields include; lignocellulosic biomass destruction and refinery design, microbial community investigations, thermochemically generated fuels. The recent research in this young industry is extensive and the innovations remarkable (Scragg 67)
. Continued research will improve the production of the biofuels and market the innovations to the world in the near future.
Issues of biofuels
Renewable energy, in recent years, is viewed as...