Examples of Alternative Fuels

The Alternative fuels so called because they were designed primarily as alternatives to using fossil fuels in the transport. For example: BTL, biodiesel, hydrogen.

A fuel is a material that has the ability to release energy in the form of hot, going through a violent process of oxidation.

The fuels release energy because, by breaking the chemical bonds of their molecules, the energy that held those links is free. This energy is called binding energy and is a potential energyIn other words, it affects any object outside the molecule itself. The moment that energy is released, in the case of fuels it is converted into heat.

This thermal energy (heat) can be used in various ways:

Why are they necessary?

The traditional fuels, such as coal derivatives and petroleum derivatives (gasoline, diesel, etc.) release carbon dioxide gas during combustion, which is toxic in high concentrations.

In addition, even when it is not in significant concentrations, produces acid rain, damaging plants and affecting the quality of the soil. On the other hand, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere forms a layer that allows heat to enter. of the sun but prevents its rise, so it contributes to the greenhouse effect and warming the planet.

The objective alternative fuels is to provide a source of clean and sustainable energy, that is, it does not come from resources Non-renewable, like oil.

Alternative fuels are relatively new and currently the technologies necessary for its production and use are still in preliminary stages of development. Therefore, although many alternative fuels are currently being used, many of them still require more energy for their production than that obtained from combustion. However, its possible uses are still being investigated since it is considered that with the appropriate technology its performance will improve.

Examples of alternative fuels

1. BTL. Biomass to liquid. The acronym BTL comes from the English “Biomass to Liquids”. The biomass it is living matter, that is, organisms. BTL is a type of synthetic fuel similar to fossil fuels (gasoline, kerosene, or diesel) that is produced from plants.
2. Hydrogen. It is the simplest and smallest molecule: two atoms hydrogen. It combines with oxygen and other substances to be used as fuel. The advantage of using this substance as fuel is that it does not emit polluting gases. The downside is that it is not naturally free. For this reason, more energy is used to produce it than can be recovered in combustion. It can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity or heat. It can also be burned in combustion engines.
3. Electric fuel. Cars capable of using electricity as fuel are currently being manufactured. The advantage is that electricity does not emit toxic gases. The downside is that vehicles with sufficient autonomy have not yet been created. That a vehicle is autonomous means that it can travel a great number of kilometers without loading fuel. This does not happen with electric cars. In addition, few cities have a system available for charging these vehicles, while gasoline is available worldwide.
4. Bioethanol. It is ethanol (alcohol product of fermentation) that can be obtained from crops such as corn or soybeans. It is a favorite alternative fuel project because its raw material it is easily renewable. However, there is also a critical position that blames the use of crops in fuel production for the increase in prices of fuels. food. Also, it has not yet been confirmed that it does not produce any toxic gas. However, it is highly probable that if it emits toxic gases they will be to a much lesser extent than fossil fuels. In the same way that it happens with hydrogen, another of the disadvantages of bioethanol is that the energy currently used in its production is greater than that obtained from fuel.
5. Biodiesel. Liquid fuel that is produced specifically from lipids, that is to say vegetable oils and animal fats. Unlike bioethanol, it is not produced by fermentation but by esterification and transesterification. The raw materials are usually rapeseed oil, oil palm and camelina. Animal fat has the disadvantage of producing a biodiesel that solidifies at higher than desirable temperatures.
6. CTL. Charcoal to liquid. Coal can turn into a liquid formed by hydrocarbons thanks to a chemical process called the Pott-Broche process. A solvent at high temperature and high pressure. Hydrogen is then added and the product continues to be refined.

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