Alternative fuel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Typical Brazilian filling station with four alternative fuels for

sale: biodiesel (B3), gasohol(E25), neat ethanol (E100), and compressed
natural gas (CNG). Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional or
advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used
as fuels, other than conventional fuels. Conventional fuels
include: fossil fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, propane, and natural
gas), and nuclear materials such as uranium.
Some well known
alternative fuels include biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol,
butanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel
cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural
gas, vegetable oil and other biomass sources.
Contents
[hide]

• 1 Background
• 2 Factors increasing demand for alternative fuels
• 3 Biofuel
o 3.1 Biomass
• 4 Alcohol fuels
• 5 Hydrogen
• 6 HCNG
 • 7 Liquid nitrogen
• 8 Compressed air
• 9 Alternative fossil fuels
• 10 Nuclear power
• 11 See also
• 12 References

• 13 External links

[edit]Background

The main purpose of fuel is to store energy in a form that is

stable and can be easily transported from the place of production
to the end user. Almost all fuels are chemical fuels, which store
chemical potential energy. The end user may consume the fuel at
will and release energy, usually in the form of heat, for a variety
of applications, such as powering an engine orheating a building.

[edit]Factors
increasing demand for
alternative fuels
In 2007, there were 1.8 million alternative fuel vehicles sold in
the United States, indicating an increasing popularity of
alternative fuels.[1] There is growing perceived economic and
political need for the development of alternative fuel sources.
This is due to general environmental, economic, and geopolitical
concerns of sustainability.
The major environmental concern, according to an IPCC report, is
that "Most of the observed increase in globally averaged
temperatures since the mid-20th century is due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations" [2].
Since burning fossil fuels is known to increase greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere, they are a likely contributor
to global warming.
Other concerns which have fueled demand revolve around the
concept of peak oil, which predicts rising fuel costs as production
rates of petroleum enter a terminal decline. According to
theHubbert peak theory, when the production levels peak,
demand for oil will exceed supply and without
proper mitigation this gap will continue to grow as production
drops, which could cause a major energy crisis.
Lastly, the majority of the known petroleum reserves are located
in the Middle East. There is general concern that worldwide fuel
shortages could intensify the unrest that exists in the region,
leading to further conflict and war. (See future energy
development for a general discussion)
In an attempt to increase demand for alternative fuels in the US,
the IRS began allowing taxpayers to claim a special tax credit for
using alternative fuels, known as the Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Refueling Property Credit. The definition used for alternative
fuel under this credit is: Any fuel containing at least 85 percent of
one or more of ethanol, natural gas, compressed natural
gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or hydrogen;
or any mixture which consists of two or more of biodiesel, diesel
fuel, or kerosene, and at least 20% of which consists of biodiesel.
[3]

The production of alternative fuels can have widespread effects.

For example, the production of corn-based ethanol has created
an increased demand for the feed stock, causing rising prices in
almost everything made from corn.[4] However, in
a competitive free market, an increased supply of ethanol
reduces the demand for conventional fuels, and thus lowers fuel
prices. The ethanol industry enables agricultural surpluses to be
used to mitigate fuel shortages.