Biofuels+Other+Than+Ethanol

__ Biofiiels Other than Ethanol Factsheet __ // •• // Bryan Fabert 10/07 Biofuel = solid, liquid, or .gas fuel derived from Biomass(plants or waste) fossil fuel use. • // i // In practice, biofuels are not carbon neutral because energy is required to grow crops and process them into fuel. Ex: __fertilizer__ manufacture, fuel used to power machinery, and fuel used to transport crops and fuels to and from biofuel processing plants. Plus, biofuels promote land use changes and soil carbon losses. A 2007 study by scientists from Britain, U.S., Germany, Switzerland and including Professor Paul Crutzen, who won a Nobel Prize for his work on ozone, have reported that measurements of emissions from the burning of biofuels derived from rapeseed and corn have been found to produce more greenhouse gas emissions than they save.141 Biofuel **Pros:** Energy seciirity, decrease carbon emissions(Global Warming), increase rural development, __ biodegradable __ so relatively harmless to the environment if spilled Biofuel **Cons:** Can't supply us with much energy, increase land use increases pollution and fuel is spent in the process, increase food prices especially for poor countries that import food from U.S.
 * Carbon Emissions: ** Biofiiels aim to be __carbon neutral__ because the carbon released during the use of the fuel, e.g. through burning to power transport or generate electricity, is reabsorbed and balanced by the carbon absorbed by new plant growth. These plants are then harvested to make the next batch of fuel. __ Carbon neutral __ fuels lead to no net increases in atmospheric __carbon dioxide__ levels, which means that __global wanning__ need not get any worse. Studies show that biofuels produce 60 to 80% less carbon emissions than
 * Vegetable oil ** can be used in many older diesel engines (equipped with __indirect injection systems),__ but only in warm climates. In most cases, vegetable oil is used, to manufacture biodiesel, which is. compatible with most diesel engines when blended with conventional diesel fuel. No engine manufacturer explicitly states that straight vegetable oil can be used in their engines. Used vegetable oil (e.g. from deep fat fryers) can be filtered and processed into biodiesel.
 * Biodiesel ** is the most common biofuel in Europe. It is produced from oils or fats using __transesterification.__ Biodiesel can be used in any __diesel engine__ when mixed with mineral diesel. Some engines can run off 100% Biodiesel. However,'the majority of vehicle manufacturers limit their recommendations to 15% biodiesel blended with mineral diesel. In the USA, more than 80% of trucks and buses run on diesel. US used 25 million gallons of biodiesel per year in 2004 to 78 million gallons by 2005.
 * Bioalcohols ** like ethanol, propanol, and butanol are produced by the action of microorganisms and __enzymes__ through fermentation.
 * Butanol ** is often claimed to provide a direct replacement for __gasoline,__ because can be used directly in a gasolineengine. It is not in widespread production, and engine manufacturers have not made statements about its //^^srmaHmnecds^^// __Butanol__ is formed by __ABE fermentation__ (acetone, butanol, ethanol). Butanol will produce more energy and allegedly can be burned "straight" in existing gasoline engines and is less corrosive and less water soluble than ethanol, and could be distributed via existing infrastructures.
 * Biogas ** a __gas__ produced by the __fermentation__ of organic matter including __manure,__ sewage __sludge, municipal__ __ solid waste, biodegradable waste, __ under anaerobic conditions. Biogas is comprised primarily of methane and __carbon dioxide.__ It is just like natural gas and can be used for distribution via the natural gas grid, electricity production, space heating, and __water heating.__ If compressed, it can replace __compressed natural__ __ gas __ for use in vehicles, where it can fuel an __internal combustion engine__ or __fuel cells.__ Because of the remoteness of landfill sites it is sometimes not economically feasible to produce electricity from the gas; too much electricity is lost through the power lines.