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Bi⋅o⋅fu⋅el-a type of fuel whether solid, liquid or a gas that is acquired from dead biological matter usually biomass.
Types of Biofuels:
1st Generation Biofuels
Ethanol- A liquid alcohol made of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon and is obtained from the fermentation of sugar or converted starch contained in grains and other agricultural or agri-forest feedstocks. It main components include the following: Starches (corn, grains, potatoes), sugars( sugar cane, sugar beet), and biomass. And Ethanol is primarily blended with petrol to use as transport fuel. 12 billion gallons of ethanol were produced worldwide in the year 2005, and leading in production was the US and Brazil with about 4.2 billion gallons.
Biodiesel- A non-toxic, biodegradable fuel. The majority of biodiesel is from oily feedstocks in a process called transesterification, where the oil is reacted with an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst (such as sodium hydroxide.) The major components of biodiesel are vegetable oils (canola, corn, cottonseed, palm, soy,sunflower), animal tallow and recycled greases. Biodiesel can replace conventional diesel in any automobile. Biodiesel is also used as a home heating oil to feed domestic and commercial boilers and has been tested as a fuel for railroad use and aircraft use too. 994 million gallons were produced worldwide with Germany leading in production with 528 million gallons.
Biogas- Biogas consists mostly of a gas called methane, which is the same as "natural gas". Bacteria produce methane as they break down cellulosic material, whether in a swamp or bog, or in an industrial biogas generator, which is an airtight container that allows collection of the biogas for power generation. Another type of biogas is carbon monoxide rich gas made via thermal gasification. The major components of Biogas consist of landfill gas, sewage sludge gas, corn silage, liquid manure and cereals. The U.S leads the production with approximately 160,00 TJ (terajoules). Most of the use of Biogas is used for electricity and heating while a small proportion is used in transport for motors that can use natural gas.
Second Generation Biofuels:
Cellulosic Ethanol- A type of biofuel produced with woods, grasses and other non-edible parts of plants. Corn stover, switchgrass, miscanthus, woodchips and the byproducts of lawn and tree maintenance are some of the more popular cellulosic materials for ethanol production. But switchgrass and miscanthus are the major biomass materials being studied today, due to their high productivity per acre. One of the benefits of cellulosic ethanol is that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 85% over reformulated gasoline.
3rd Generation Biofuels
Algae Biofuel (Oilgae)- A biofuel from algae. It produces 30 times more energy per acre than land crops such as soybeans. With the higher prices of fossil fuels (petroleum), there is much interest in algaculture (farming algae). One advantage of many biofuels over most other fuel types is that they are biodegradable, and so relatively harmless to the environment if spilled. The United States Department of Energy estimates that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require 15,000 square miles (38,849 square kilometers), which is roughly the size of Maryland. Many scientists see great potential in this biofuel and lots of research is being done to explore the advantages and the possible disadvantages.
Words to Know:
- Biomass refers to any renewable resource that can be obtained from living or recently dead biological material and be used as a cleaner source of fuel or production of industry. This is not to get mixed up with fossil fuels.
- Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are fuel sources found within the Earth's crust made up of carbons or hydrocarbons. Although in present-day they are more practical, the growing global demand for these fuels may someday in the near future exhaust the Earth's supply. Let's not forget that when fossil fuels burn, the carbon dioxide within the fuel is released into the atmosphere. And fossil fuels are one of the leading contributors for climate change and global warming.
- Sustainability is a broad term that refers to maintaining a certain process or state. For the modern US, this applies to being able to maintain our state of being, along with the environment, our rising energy demand, and to use to Earth's resources at a rate at which they can be replenished.
The Bottom Line
For the United States stand a fighting chance in the future as a world power, we have to explore new sources of fuels. This is where biofuels come in. To reduce the potential outside influence in the future when fuel sources are scarce, the United States is exploring new fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, biogas, and third generation biofuels like algae, or oilgae. These will reduce our carbon footprint and at the same time getting closer to the ultimate goal of the US to reach sustainability for the future generations to come.
