Biofuels

Biofuels are a recent development, which has seen significant attention recently due to humanity's ever-dwindling supply of natural resources or more specifically our over-dependence on fossil fuels.

This has stemmed a great deal of scientific research into the issue of alternative energy and bio fuels have been seen as a potentially environmentally and affordable way for us to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

Biofuels is really an umbrella term and it can mean almost anything, from hydroelectric power, which is generated from waves to wind, solar and other forms of generating energy. However, for the most part the term biofuels is used to refer to that of alternative substitutes for petrol, diesel or aircraft fuel.

Up until recently, car manufacturers were highly reluctant to invest significantly in bio fuels research for mainstream vehicles. This was because biofuels are to some extent an unproven technology – we know it works; just there is little research on the overall benefits of biofuels not only to consumers, but also to the planet.

This has meant that until further research has been completed, many industries are reluctant to join in to develop biofuels into a sustainable and realistic form of energy.

Many people argue that the reason car manufacturers have started to adopt biofuels as a technology is mainly because of pressure from the world governments due to the environmental impact that fossil fuels are having on the planet.

Speaking from an environmental perspective, the rate of consumption for fossil fuels has risen exponentially in the past twenty years and as a result, we are now faced with the reality that fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel will run out within the next hundred years.

Bio fuels are a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Many varieties exist and they vary significantly. Some examples are that of biodiesel, which entails growing crops that contain high amounts of natural oil then through a process of hydrogenation or refining a more compatible bio diesel, substitute is created. This creates a biodiesel, which can be mixed with mineral diesel then used in any diesel-powered automobile.

There is a similar process that takes place creating bio-petrol by fermenting crops such as sugar cane. This creates a natural ethanol, which can also be mixed with petrol to create a sort of hybrid biofuel that can be used in any petrol powered vehicle.

However, problems exist due to the properties of ethanol as it is more corrosive than petrol and as a result, it cannot be used in many aircraft or boats.

These are examples of first generation biofuels and due to their nature they may or may not be long-term economically or environmentally viable. Arguments exist that both support the continued use of biofuels and prove they are not the miracle fuel we are waiting for.

The truth is that bio fuels technology is still young. In the next twenty years, we look set to see biofuel research expand exponentially as we get close to the day when fossil fuels are exhausted.

Until that time comes, we will always have a reliance on fossil fuels and we can only hope that biofuels as an alternative is a reality within the next twenty years.

Biofuel production is the process in which bio fuels or fossil fuel alternatives are created. This recent innovation has effectively spurred on a completely new technology, which may eliminate or significantly reduce our dependence on the finite supplies of traditional petroleum based derivatives of fossil fuels.

The essence of biofuel production is that it is primarily a sustainable form of fuel production. Research has gone into depths to discover the best ways to develop a fuel or gas, which has almost limitless supply. As a result, there now exists real alternatives to fossil fuels and biofuel production is no longer just fiction but a reality.

Existing research into biofuel production has been focused on technology that converts crops directly into biofuels, normally consuming the whole crop in the process.

Recent research has proven that whilst it may be effective, long term this is an environmentally unfriendly process due to the sheer production quantities needed to remove fossil fuel dependencies. This would obviously mean other crops suffer because of biofuel production requirements.

This has led to further research into the science of enzymes, which can be used to naturally break down left over crops and thus effectively recycle existing waste material.

This has already proved effective in landfill sites operated by the UK , which traps methane gas which is created due to the breakdown of household waste.

Second generation biofuel production technology looks set to take advantage of advanced developments in enzymes to break down waste products more aggressively either through the process of fermentation to create bio-ethanol or the trapping of gas to create methane.

However, the problem exists that most biofuels are based on biomass products that are being farmed from crops and as a result, if we shift our dependence from fossil fuels to biofuels, there will not be enough space on the planet to grow food and ensure that biofuel production is adequate for our reliance on energy.

Many research institutions are looking into more alternative technologies for bio fuel production such as genetically modifying crops to make them more environmentally friendly, to using the oceans to farm algae in ways to try to ensure that there is enough space for food crops as well as the vitally important arable ground for food crops.

The truth is that at this current moment, bio fuel production technology is still very much in the first generation. Even though there have been significant developments, the technology in general is still very young. We are now seeing biofuels being used as additives in both gasoline and diesel, which is slowly helping to reduce the strain on the world's fossil fuels.

In the immediate future, humanity will be required to make many changes to our lifestyles in order to both preserve our lifestyle but also our environment. After all this is a legacy we will leave for our children and their children, so perhaps by investing responsibly in biofuel production and research, we can ensure that we have a few years left on this earth yet.

Biodiesel has seen some controversy over past years, but to this day seems to be a way of utilizing bio degradable materials, in a way which will help the planet we live in become a better place.

Back in the early 1900s Dr Rudolf Diesel had just invented the first diesel engine, which could run efficiently on a variety of different fuels.

Biodiesel was way ahead of its time as Dr Rudolf had proved by demonstrating this at the World Fair in 1900, he showed that a diesel engine could in fact run by using peanut oil, which actually won the highest accolade, the ‘Grand Prix’. Although peanut oil is not a bio diesel, it is a bio fuel, but uses the same principles.

Biodiesel is basically a way of making fuel to power diesel engines from vegetable oils, which can be more efficient and less harmful to the environment, as they are non toxic and totally bio degradable. There have been many reports that table salt is more toxic than bio diesel, which speaks volumes in itself.

Bio diesel actually bio degrades up to four times quicker than normal petroleum diesel which we use on a daily basis.

There are so many benefits to using these kinds of bio fuels, they can be stored for an indefinite period of time in full containers, with no problems at all, and biodiesel releases no carbon dioxide and no sulphur dioxide into the air we breathe on a daily basis

The statistics speak for themselves and are too many to mention, but if every diesel engine had the modifications needed to use this environmentally friendly bio diesel fuel, would that not make the world a little bit better?

It is very strange that from the time that Dr Rudolf had made people and the government especially, aware of his findings and allegedly held very secret talks with the English navy regarding fitting all navy submarines with diesel engines, which could utilize these kinds of bio fuels and then later found floating in the English Channel.

It would almost seem like the revolutionary discovery of biodiesel would encroach on the petroleum industry. Even so, it does not take away the fact that his invention of using a different kind of fuel on a diesel engine was later patented by G Chavanne from Brussels.

Biodiesel is indeed the way forward, especially as we have countries all over the world spending billions on finding different ways to save the planet, which we have brought on ourselves.

Biodiesel is a very cheap way to power the diesel engine which has been around for many years, when you think about how much vegetable oil is disposed of in landfills around the country, just from fish and chip shops alone.

Surely it makes sense to make use of something which has already served its main purpose and turn it into a biodiesel that could be beneficial to the planet, it takes no though at all, but do the petroleum companies and governments of the world feel the same way about bio diesel?