BIOFUELS: An Introduction
What are ‘Biofuels?’
According to Wikipedia, a biofuel is a fuel produced through ‘contemporary biological’ processes as opposed to geological processes. In other words, biofuels are produced from agricultural sources (forest, agricultural waste, fishery by-products, animal waste, food industry by-products or waste, short rotation crops, algae — by-products and waste occurring in the now from recently living organisms) rather than by ‘prehistoric’ biological matter subjected to decades of petrification like coal or petroleum.
Hence, biofuels are referred to as ‘non-fossil’ fuels. They may be solid, such as fuelwood, charcoal and wood pellets; liquid, such as ethanol, biodiesel and pyrolysis (decomposition of organic material at flash high temperatures) oils; or gaseous, such as biogas.
Often the term ‘biofuel’ is used in a narrow sense to refer only to liquid biofuels for transport.
· First-generation biofuels or ‘conventional biofuels’ are currently produced from food crops such as sugar cane and rapeseed. They include bioethanol (made from sugars and starch) and biodiesel (made from vegetable oil).
· Second-generation biofuels or ‘advanced biofuels’ are under development and will be derived from non-food plant matter such as crop residues and agricultural or municipal wastes. They include bioethanol made from cellulosic materials such as straw or wood.
The associated term ‘biomass’ refers to any matter derived from plants or animals; ergo, all biofuels are derived from biomass.
Biomass has traditionally been used as fuel for energy production in the forms of wood, charcoal or animal waste — known as unprocessed primary biofuels (fuelwood). In contrast, processed secondary biofuels include liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, which have become increasingly popular for use in transport in recent years.
Biofuels depend on biomass and biomass is comprised of feedstock. A ‘feedstock’ references the raw material required for an industrial process and represents any biomass destined for conversion to energy or biofuel. Common examples include corn as a feedstock for ethanol production and soybean oil for biodiesel (liquid biofuels).
HYDROCRACKING and other Bio-COOL Terms
Of course the world of Biofuel has its own vocabulary and learning a few key words and phrases will help understand it as we continue to roll out more information about the evolution and impact of Biofuels. Here’re some quick references courtesy of GreenFacts.org, Wikipedia and ChelseaGreen.com:
· Biochar is charcoal used as a soil enhancer to increase soil fertility of acidic soils (low pH soils), increase agricultural productivity and provide protection against some foliar and soil-borne diseases.
· Biodiesel is a biofuel made from vegetable oil.
· Biodiversity reflects the number, variety and variability of living organisms; it includes diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity).
· Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources.
· Bioether is produced from wheat, sugar beet or from the waste glycerol that results from the production of biodiesel. It is likely to replace other ethers as an additive to current fossil fuels.
· Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen; it can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste.
· Biomass refers to organic materials such as plant materials and animal waste.
· Liquid biofuels are the most widely used biofuels for transport — ethanol and biodiesel being the most popular.
· Carbon debt refers to the overuse (by an individual, corporation or state) of the carbon dioxide absorption capacity of the world’s oceans, vegetation and soil.
· Carbon fixation is the conversion process of inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide) to organic compounds by living organisms.
· Clean diesel fuel, also referred to as ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), contains 97 percent less sulfur than older diesel mixtures.
· Cellulose is the principal component of the cell walls of plants, composed of a long chain of sugar molecules.
· Feedstock is any raw material required for an industrial process.
· Fuelwood refers to energy derived from wood in various forms.
· Gasification is the conversion of solid or liquid material such as coal, petroleum or biomass into a gas for use as a fuel. This is done at high temperatures with a controlled amount of oxygen.
· Hydrocracking is a catalytic ‘cracking’ process assisted by the presence of added hydrogen gas. The major products derived from hydrocracking are jet fuel and diesel, each with a very low content of sulfur and other contaminants.
· Monocropping is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land and can be very damaging to the soil.
· Myco-diesel refers to a mushroom-type fungus found growing in a South American rainforest that naturally produces a substance similar to biodiesel. G. roseum can make myco-diesel directly from cellulose, the main compound found in plants and paper.
· Pyrolysis is decomposition brought about by high temperatures.
· Solid biofuel refers primarily to wood, charcoal or wood pellets.
· Syngas, or synthesis gas, is a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and, very often, carbon dioxide. Syngas is combustible and frequently used as a fuel for internal combustion engines.
Follow this link for more ‘bio’ vocabulary and great data: http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/index.htm
Now that we have a better understanding of the language and makeup of biofuels, more information on the economic and ecological impacts of producing and marketing biofuels will follow.
Alkane Truck Company thanks Wikipedia.com, GreenFacts.org, www.chelseagreen.com/blogs/, Google and www.emo.ie/ for the content of this article.
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