Fuels biofuels

To comply with carbon reduction goals, some countries impose taxes on carbon dioxide emissions. Since biofuels have lower full-cycle carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels, biofuels are more cost-competitive with fossil fuels in regions where these taxes are imposed. 

In order to compete with fossil fuels, biofuels must become available in a variety of guises to meet the needs of our energy-hungry society. In order to meet these needs a number of primary conversion processes have been developed as summarized in Figure 6.3. 

Can biofuel be used to replace petroleum-based fuels Biofuel can be made from biological materials, snch as plants and animal fats. Biodiesel and ethanol are the two most common biological fuels. As part of your research, find ont what biofnel is nsed for. Think about factors that may be holding back the sale of biofuel on the Canadian market. 

Chemical conversion of vegetable oils to general purpose liquid fuels ( biofuels, and biodiesel ) has also been successfully explored [34, 35]. However, the small size of this resource makes it unlikely that this could do more than supplement petroleum-based sources. Probably the more significant developments to extend petroleum-based liquid fuels lie in the recovery of oil from the tar sands, and the pilot plant projects involving oil shale pyrolysis experiments to liquid fuels. 

Scientific research confirms that biofuel has a less harmful effect on human health than petroleum fuel. Biofuel emissions have decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrited PAH compounds (nPAH), which have been identified as cancer causing compounds. Test results indicate that PAH compounds were reduced by 50-85%. Targeted nPAH compounds were reduced by 90%. Biofuel is nontoxic and biodegradable. In addition, the flash point (the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mix with air) is 300° F, well above petroleum fuel s flashpoint of 125°F. 

Fundamental aspects of industrial catalytic processes are detailed including catalyst preparation, characterization, structure-property relationships, deactivation and defoul-ing, and catalyst regeneration methods. Examples of industrial processes that use different types of catalysts for chemical manufacture are also detailed. Identification and utilization of alternative resources for complementing our energy needs are addressed, which include renewable energy resources, oxygenated fuels, biofuels, fuel cells, and batteries. 

Transportation infrastructures require, or at least privilege, the availability of liquid fuels. In the field of transportation fuel, biofuels are the most feasible alternative to fossil fuels. 

Fuel Production. Liquid biofuels are a significant alternative to petroleum-based vehicle and transportation fuels. Biofuels are attractive because they can be used in already existing vehicles with little modification required and also in the production of electricity. These fuels are estimated to account for almost 2 percent of the transportation fuels used in the world s vehicles. 

The study of biofuels and synthetic fuels is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on development of clean, renewable fuels that can be used as alternatives to fossil fuels. Biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, methane, biogas, and hydrogen synthetic fuels include syngas and synfuel. These fuels can be used as gasoline and diesel substitutes for transportation, as fuels for electric generators to produce electricity, and as fuels to heat houses (their traditional use). Both governmental agencies and private companies have invested heavily in research in this area of applied science. 

The percentage of energy demand that could be satisfied by particular nonfossil energy resources can be estimated by examination of the potential amounts of energy and biofuels that can be produced from renewable carbon resources and comparison of these amounts with fossil fuel demands. 

U.S. capacity for producing biofuels manufactured by biological or thermal conversion of biomass must be dramatically increased to approach the potential contributions based on biomass availabiUty. For example, an incremental EJ per year of methane requires about 210 times the biological methane production capacity that now exists, and an incremental EJ per year of fuel ethanol requires about 14 times existing ethanol fermentation plant capacity. 

Alternatively, short-rotation hybrid poplar and selected grasses can be multicropped on an energy plantation in the U.S. Northwest and harvested for conversion to Hquid transportation fuels and cogenerated power for on-site use in a centrally located conversion plant. The salable products are Hquid biofuels and surplus steam and electric power. This type of design may be especially useful for larger land-based systems. 

Table 32. Biofuels Utilization and Production and Biomass-Fueled Electric Power Plant Capacities in the United States ...

Municipal Solid Waste. In the eady 1990s, the need to dispose of municipal soHd waste (MSW) ia U.S. cities has created a biofuels industry because there is Htde or no other recourse (107). Landfills and garbage dumps are being phased out ia many communities. Combustion of MSW, ie, mass-bum systems, and RDF, ie, refuse-derived fuel, has become an estabhshed waste disposal—energy recovery industry. 

Capacity Limitations and Biofuels Markets. Large biofuels markets exist (130—133), eg, production of fermentation ethanol for use as a gasoline extender (see Alcohol fuels). Even with existing (1987) and planned additions to ethanol plant capacities, less than 10% of gasoline sales could be satisfied with ethanol—gasoline blends of 10 vol % ethanol the maximum volumetric displacement of gasoline possible is about 1%. The same condition apphes to methanol and alcohol derivatives, ie, methyl-/-butyl ether [1634-04-4] and ethyl-/-butyl ether. 

The Energy PoHcy Act of 1992 (H.R. 776) has Hberalized the rules concerning biofuels and provides tax incentives for increased usage. Many states also have gasohol fuel tax exemptions in place, and some have enacted legislation that requites use of oxygenated fuels under certain conditions. Most of these laws impact favorably on biofuels usage. 

Physical Properties. Physical properties of waste as fuels are defined in accordance with the specific materials under consideration. The greatest degree of definition exists for wood and related biofuels. The least degree of definition exists for MSW, related RDF products, and the broad array of ha2ardous wastes. Table 3 compares the physical property data of some representative combustible wastes with the traditional fossil fuel bituminous coal. The soHd organic wastes typically have specific gravities or bulk densities much lower than those associated with coal and lignite. 

Biofuels. Biofuels are Hquid fuels, primarily used ia transportation (qv), produced from biomass feedstocks. Identified Hquid fuels and blending components iaclude ethanol (qv), methanol (qv), and the ethers ethyl /-butyl ether (ETBE) and methyl /-butyl ether (MTBE), as well as synthetic gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels. 

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