The Future of Fuels
Posted on June 5, 2020 by teachforgreen
What do we understand of the term “fuel”? Almost instantly, we think of energy-releasing substances. Something which upon burning (usually) gives heat or power. From our bodies getting energy by breaking down the food we eat into glucose to the space rockets being powered by hydrogen, all examples which come to mind run something. Fuels exist in all three phases — we use wood in hearths, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) in our kitchens, and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in our automobiles.
A good fuel should
- Be readily available
- Be cheap
- Burn easily at a moderate rate
- Produce a large amount of heat
- Not leave behind any undesirable substances
Cheaply available in abundance, traditional fossil fuels also have high energy value. These fuels formed of biomass take millions of years to compress and come into existence. As this natural reserve of coal and petroleum is getting depleted, we are seeking newer and more reliable sources. This is important not only in the face of soaring prices but also (more importantly) the harmful carbon emissions which are mainly responsible for driving climate change.
The world is looking at renewable and cleaner fuels. These biofuels have been around for quite some time and are steadily gaining popularity as the consequences of using fossil fuels stare us in our face. Biofuels are made from recently grown biomass (plant or animal matter). They are characterized by their sources of biomass, their limitations as a renewable source of energy, and their technological progress.
Generations of Biofuel Technology
First Generation
These are also known as conventional biofuels. Made from sugar, starch, or vegetable oil, their main drawback is that they come from food sources. They are produced through well-understood processes like fermentation and distillation. Ethanol and biodiesel are the two most common biofuels representing the first generation. These burn cleaner than gasoline. However, first-generation fuels may drive food prices higher and become a burden on biodiversity as they compete for water.
Second Generation
Sources include wood, organic waste, food waste, and specific biomass crops. They don’t compete between fuels and food crops since they come from distinct biomass. They allow for the use of poorer land and technology has great scope. They have a higher yield but the process is more elaborate than first-generation biofuels because it requires pretreating the biomass to release the trapped sugars.
Third Generation
These are more energy-dense than first and second-generation biofuels per area of harvest. These biofuels use specially engineered crops such as algae as the energy source. The extracted oil within algae can then be converted into biodiesel through a similar process as first-generation biofuels, or it can be refined into other fuels as replacements to petroleum-based fuels. Algae are advantageous in that they can grow in areas unsuitable for first and second-generation crops, which would relieve stress on water and arable land used. It can also be grown using wastewater or saltwater. The technology is very new and shows a lot of promise. On the occasion of World Environment Day, let’s all recognize the need for efficiently harnessing clean energy and investments in the R&D of alternative fuels.
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