Alternative fuels fuel costs

The Availability of Sustainable Alternative Fuels and Costs Involved... 

Assessment of Costs and Benefits of Flexible and Alternative Fuel Use in the U.S. Transportation Sector, Progress Report One, DOE/PE-0080, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., Jan. 1988. 

Because fuel costs are high, the search is on for processes with higher thermal efficiency and for ways to improve efficiencies of existing processes. One process being emphasized for its high efficiency is the gas turbine combined cycle. The gas turbine exhaust heat makes steam in a waste heat boiler. The steam drives turbines, often used as lielper turbines. References 1, 2, and 3 treat this subject and mention alternate equipment hookups, some in conjunction with coal gasification plants. 

In the United States, in particular, recent legislation has mandated sweeping improvements to urban air quality by limiting mobile source emissions and by promoting cleaner fuels. The new laws require commercial and government fleets to purchase a substantial number of vehicles powered by an alternative fuel, such as natural gas, propane, electricity, methanol or ethanol. However, natural gas is usually preferred because of its lower cost and lower emissions compared with the other available alternative gas or liquid fuels. Even when compared with electricity, it has been shown that the full fuel cycle emissions, including those from production, conversion, and transportation of the fuel, are lower for an NGV [2]. Natural gas vehicles offer other advantages as well. Where natural gas is abundantly available as a domestic resource, increased use... 

The COP s of specific air conditioners will vary widely with both manufacturer and application. Electricity utility efficiencies will also differ between countries. However, the reason for the economic interest in heat-driven cycles remains clear. Given that primary fuels can cost the consumer approximately 25% of the cost of electricity and that electricity frequently costs more at times of peak demand, there is justification for considering alternative systems. The use of a primary fuel at the point of use can also reduce COj and other emissions. 

NRC estimated costs of alternative fuels, including incremental vehicle costs, compared to oil at 20 per barrel. 

Natural-gas-dcrived fuels arc the most cost-competitive because natural gas does not need to be refined like gasoline and diesel fuel from petroleum (Figure 1). Ethanol, a heavily subsidized alternative fuel, is not as cost-competitive as natural-gas-dcrived fuels. If not for the subsidies and environmental reg-... 

Despite the fact that OTEC systems have no fuel costs and can produce useful by-products, the initial high cost of building such power plants (up to 5,000 per kilowatt) currently makes OTEC generated electricity up to five times more expensive than conventional alternatives. As such, at the present time OTEC systems are largely restricted to experimental and demonstration units. One of the major facilities for OTEC research is the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority at Keahole Point on the island of Hawaii. An experimental OTEC facility located there has had a maximum net power production of 100 kilowatts, at the same time producing 5 gallons per minute of desalinated water. 

Users seeking tender quotations should demand relative running costs and make their decision on the basis of their anticipated running times and so of the expected fuel costs, taking into account the slow inflation of electricity tariffs. Buyers must be aware of the tendency of a contractor to offer only one make or type of equipment, and where this situation arises, alternative tenders should be sought. 

The most advantageous application of the heat pump in the UK at the present time is where air cooling is required in the summer and air heating from the same piece of equipment in the winter. The alternatives will be electric resistance heating, with a higher fuel cost, or the provision of a hot water coil, at extra capital cost. 

Owing to diminishing fossil fuel reserves, alternative energy sources need to be renewable, sustainable, efficient, cost-effective, convenient and safe.1 In recent decades, microbial production of ethanol has been considered as an alternative fuel for the future because fossil fuels are depleting. Several microorganisms, including Clostridium sp. and yeast, the well-known ethanol producers Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis, are suitable candidates to produce ethanol.2,3... 

A lack of much-needed MU water softening, dealkalization, or similar external treatment capability is quite common in many small to midsized industrial facilities. It seldom produces a complete boiler failure or anything quite so dramatic, but it is nonetheless very costly in terms of additional fuel costs and maintenance. Personnel may learn to live with the resultant poor quality of FW for many years, accepting the position as normal until the facts are pointed out and alternative proposals are considered. 

As greater cost and impending depletion of fossil fuels became apparent in the 1970 s and early 1980 s, the search for renewable alternative fuels resulted... 

Alternative fuel programs is the theme of Chapter three. Subjects include hydrogen, methanol, syn gas, biofuels, fueling methods, safety and storage. The chapter ends with a discussion of cost issues. 

The GAO stated that the goals in the act for fuel replacement were not met because alternative fuel vehicles have serious economic disadvantages compared to conventional gasoline engines. These included the comparative price of gasoline, the lack of refueling stations for alternative fuels and the additional costs of these vehicles. 

In the first half of the 21st century, alternative fuels could achieve greater emissions and gas savings at lower cost, reducing emissions in... 

---