Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Biofuels include bioethanol, an alcohol made by fermentation—often used as a gasoline additive, and biodiesel, which is usually used as a diesel additive. Specific energy is energy per unit mass, which is used to describe the chemical energy content of a fuel, expressed in SI units as joule per kilogram (J/kg) or equivalent units. [1]
The two most common types of biofuel are bioethanol and biodiesel. Brazil is the largest producer of bioethanol, while the EU is the largest producer of biodiesel. The energy content in the global production of bioethanol and biodiesel is 2.2 and 1.8 EJ per year, respectively. [17]
In second-generation biofuels applications forest and agricultural residues, wood waste and energy crops can be used as feedstock to produce e.g. bio-oil for fuel oil applications. Bio-oil typically requires significant additional treatment to render it suitable as a refinery feedstock to replace crude oil.
Fuel costs depend on how fast the grasses grow and other factors. [2] An estimated investment of over $325 billion (2008 basis) would be needed to build biofactories capable of producing the 65 billion gallons of biofuel needed to meet 2030 national goals.
The cost of transporting the feedstock to the factory; The cost of processing the feedstock into bioethanol; Such a calculation may or may not consider the following effects: The cost of the change in land use of the area where the fuel feedstock is grown. The cost of transportation of the bioethanol from the factory to its point of use
For comparison, that same one unit of fossil fuel invested in oil and gas extraction (in the lower 48 States) will yield 15 units of gasoline, a yield an order of magnitude better than current ethanol production technologies, ignoring the energy quality arguments above and the fact that the gain (14 units) is both declining and not carbon neutral.
Vegetable oil blends - Mixing vegetable oil with diesel lets users get some of the advantages of burning vegetable oil and is often done with no modification to the vehicle. [4] Biodiesel - Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oil through the process of transesterification. Biodiesel burns like normal diesel and works fine in any diesel engine.
The biofuel blend included components derived from algae and jatropha plants. The algae oil was provided by Sapphire Energy, and the jatropha oil by Terasol Energy. [74] [75] In March 2011, Yale University research showed significant potential for sustainable aviation fuel based on jatropha-curcas. According to the research, if cultivated ...