Alternative/Renewable Energy




Posted by: Mary Rose Tolentino


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Biofuel


Tired of hearing all those oil price hikes? Or of those smoke coming out of a car into your face?
(Image from https://lh3.googleusercontent.com)

Did you know that fuel combustion from cars is one of the main contributors for air pollution? Fuels that are burned by cars produce carbon dioxide. Because of these reasons, Biofuels are gaining popularity. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum came from decomposed plants and animals under the ground for million of years. But these fuels are limited only. Biofuels, on the other hand are extracted from plants, which can be replanted and reproduced (cited by www.nationalgeographic.com).
How does biofuel be an alternative to petroleum fuel? Different kinds of sources of biofuels produce different kinds of biofuels.

(Image from http://www1.eere.energy.gov)


Bioethanol came from sugar and starches. It is produced by the action of microorganism and enzymes through fermentation. Ethanol fuel is the most common biofuel, it can also be a replacement or be mixed in gasoline, because of the high octane rating of ethanol it increases an engine’s compression ratio for increased thermal efficiency (cited by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel).


(Image from http://www.hielscher.com)


Biodiesel came from oils and fats through the process of transesterification. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine if mixed with mineral diesel. Biodiesel contains a lesser amount of carbon than oxygen and hydrogen; it improves combustion and reduces emission of un-burnt carbon (cited by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel#Biodiesel).

Unfortunately despite the advantages of biofuels, there are still its disadvantages. According to www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, Biofuels affect biodiversity; forests might be sacrificed to give way for new biofuel plants. The debate of food vs. fuel, farmers might produce crops for fuel rather than for food. Carbon emissions, some studies show that some plants when burned produces the same amount of carbon as of fuel fossils.


Posted by: Dan Kevin Trinidad

8 comments:

  1. Biofuels are getting more popular nowadays. It has advantages and disadvantages, we need to make sure on taking steps on using it.

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  2. nice article, biofuels are good alternative energy, especially in tropical countries like the Philippines....

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  3. we have to balance, study further and use our natural resources properly for the betterment of the environment and the economy.

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  4. Very helpful article. Now I know the real essence of Alternative / Renewable Energy. At first, I am not familiar with biofuels or biodiesel etc. Thanks to this article. :)

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. The article emphasizes the Biofuel as an alternative resource of energy. Today, the shortages in fuel had become a problem in the society. These alternatives open a solution in the inevitable price hikes. In fact, despite of its advantageous impact, we cannot ignore the possible negativity in the production of this energy. We cannot control our environment, but as long as we give importance on its effect, we can provide an equilibrium between maximizing the use of energy resource and environmental conservatism.

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  7. Very informative. It will be really helpful if we will be more educated on this.

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  8. Biofuel saves energy and saves money as well!

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