Biofuels are fuels produced from biomass. And biomass can be defined as any recently living organism or its by-products such as manure. Most biofuels, however, are associated with either alcohol based fuels such as ethanol produces from corn or sugarcane, or biodiesel oil which is primarily derived from processed soybeans. Another definition of biofuel is that 80% of its content comes from living organisms harvested less than 10 years after its
production.
Biomass is a form of stored solar energy, like coal and petroleum. However, unlike coal, petroleum or nuclear energy, biomass is renewable in nature and biomass produced products are biodegradable.
Why Now?
While there have been attempts to promote biofuels in the past, cheap, abundant oil has been able to maintain its grip on the marketplace. Three driving factors are now changing that:
(1) The continuing conflicts in the middle-east threaten world access to petroleum.
(2) Spiraling costs of petroleum production.
(3) Petroleums impact on the environment and global warming.
Biofuel History
Wood and dried dung have been used by man as fuel for fire from before written history. Unfortunately wood is not the most efficient product for producing heat and requires more labor time for gathering. Using wood directly also contributes pollutants to the environment. Smoke and particulates contribute to health problems worldwide.
In the late 19th century Nicklaus Otto built the first internal combustion engine designed to run on ethanol. Rudolf Diesel designed his now famous diesel engine to be powered by peanut oil. Henry Ford originally designed his first cars to be run on ethanol. However, cheap oil soon overtook the fledgling automotive industry and soon all vehicles were being powered by petroleum based products.
Prior to World War II ethanol based products were in use in Europe, largely Germany where ethanol was was fermented from potatoes and Great Britain where grain alcohol was blended with petroleum gas and marketed.
Following the war, and with cheap Middle Eastern oil available, interest in biofuels lessened. Through the years, though, events like the oil shortages in 1973 and 1979 have renewed interest in producing fuels from biomass. And now, with the growing realization of the worlds environmental problems and critical instabilities in the Middle East, biofuels have become the center of attention of world governments.
Today
Ethanol and ethanol producing plants are being hurriedly built in the U.S. and across the world. It’s most commonly available in blends of 10% ethanol 90% petroleum gas, which every gas engine in the world can use, and E85 a blend containing 85% ethanol and only 15% petroleum gas. Car manufacturers like GM and Ford are investing heavily in vehicles that are capable of running different fuels and different blends of those fuels…flex-vehicles. Several small component manufacturers are building retrofit components in order to allow older gas fueled vehicles to use ethanol as well. Brazil has been very successful in converting to ethanol use throughout their country through the use of ethanol derived from sugarcane.
Biodiesel is moving from being a fringe product to being a Hollywood hip word. Blends of biodiesel have now been mandated by several states and corporate fleet vehicles are converting to biodiesel each day. Several cooperatives have been formed around the U.S. to produce biodiesel for their customers use.
Biodiesel is available in limited areas around the U.S. directly from the fuel pumps. Europeans are marking a huge investment in biodiesel and the infrastructure to make it available to the population.
P-class fuels, not yet available, are based on pentanes and the goal is to run vehicles in the future on straight P-class fuel or blended with petroleum gasoline.
Most developing nations have biofuel programs underway in some form or another. Mostly to reduce their dependence on the spiraling costs of petroleum but also to mitigate the problems of pollution and global warming.
Advances in biofuels are announced literally every day. Research into producing biofuel from switch grass, corn stalks and sorghum are underway. Algae is being used to create biofuels and even remains from animal carcasses are being used in one plant in Texas to create biodiesel.
Biofuels are not just a new, hip trend, they are part of a solution whose time has come. While there is still much research to be done we all must, as a global community, learn to adjust and adapt our lifestyles in order to be good conservationists of the planet.
Biofuels are not the only solution for our growing world. Energy diversity and self-sufficiency through the use of other alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen power must be encouraged. Use of biofuels in their varied forms can lessen the problems of pollution and global warming and begin provide energy independence. In short, use of biofuels is good for all people.