On the verge of several new inventions Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 was tested to fly on Biofuel. It was the first commercial jet ever to fly on Biofuel, a fuel produced from plant matter instead of petroleum or other fossil fuels.

This plane was tested with five people on board on one of London Heathrow’s two main runways. There were around 100 people watching to evidence this event standing on a nearby hangar. Virgin founder, Richard Branson told reporters just before its take off that, “This is the first stage on a journey towards renewable fuel,” His voice was not clear because of deafening noise of overhead planes.

For experiment purpose, Virgin’s eco-plane ran only one engine with that fuel and the other three engines were filled with standard jet fuel. In addition the Biofuel-powered engine was using a blend of conventional jet fuel and Biofuel: 80/20 in favor of the regular stuff. In sum just 5% of the 49,000-lb (22,000 kg) fuel load consisted of the novelty: a special mix of coconut oil and oil from the Brazilian babassu plant, prepared by Seattle-based Imperium Renewable over the last 18 months and tested by General Electric Aviation in Ohio.

Commenting against the people who were stating this incidence as mere publicity stunt, people said that it was just a businesses claim, meant merely as a demonstration. Branson told reporters, “What we’re proving today is that Biofuel can be used for a plane,” He further added, “Two years ago, people said it was absolutely impossible.”

It was also feared that Biofuel would freeze before a plane reached cruising altitude, or that it would require massive and costly changes to the aircraft or fueling systems to work at all. Those all believes were proved wrong with this successful experiment. The fuel used by Virgin did not require any equipment modifications and it flew to 25,000 feet (7,600 m) without incident; and the environmental benefits seem clear, at least once the fuel is loaded onto the plane.

For you to be able to fully understand the connection between ethanol and biodiesel, you should probably learn about them on a individual basis first, by doing this you should then be able to understand what the connections between these biofuels are. You will probably find that there quite a few similarities between ethanol and biodiesel, therefore both these biofuels should be considered when looking for alternatives to ordinary fuel.

So what is ethanol?

Ethanol is a mildly toxic,flammable and colorless mixture of chemicals with a very noticeable perfume like smell, it is also the same type of alcohol that you will find in your nice cool beer, however, it is simply referred to as alcohol.

Ethanol has been used by humans as far back as when the dinosaurs were on the planet, and even though it has been used for more negative reasons, such as explosives because of its volatile nature, it has also been though of as positive when made into alcohol drinks and other products. Ethanol has also been used as an essence to help illness for many thousands of years, and so this is also recognized as being a positive use.

Another point to consider is, ethanol is the fuel which is at present being considered to replace fossil fuels, this is a very important topic, particularly when we consider that we are in a crazy war with Iraq and this is a country where we get most of our fuel from.

What is biodiesel?

A fuel that is being considered as a replacement for diesel, is biodiesel. This is fuel that is made from crops like corn, oilseed and sugar beet. Both ethanol and biodiesel are mixed with fossil diesel and gasoline in order for older cars to be able to run on it, however some of the newer car designs are able to run on biofuel with just a few small modifications.

Because of consumers lack of understanding with regard to ethanol and biodiesel, they are not convinced that using this fuel is the right way to go as a alternative to fossil fuel. Although it has to be said that this is starting to change in the US and in the world at large.

Ethanol and biodiesel relationship:

There are many important things to question when pondering the relationship of ethanol and biodiesel, one thing for sure though is they seem to be the main two options when looking at creating a cleaner environment. Ethanol is seen as the better option my many people at this time. However, the biodiesel option should be looked at very carefully because it also as many benefits to offer the alternative fuel debate.

Biofuel production is benefiting the US farming community by putting millions of dollars into the industry, therefore this should be taken into account as well.

When looking into alternative energy car people are focusing mainly on electric power cars, ethanol cars and hybrid plugins as the cars of the future but I really think we have overlooked one power source that has always been here right on top of us and that the constant solar power that is coming at us from the sun. Solar power has all of the potential in the world because it is a virtually endless supply of power that has no chance of running out (that is unless the sun goes out, and if that happens we wont be alive to worry about it anyway) so it can power our cars virtually forever. Some of us already have solar paneled roofs to heat our houses so we already are starting to use this energy source in some manner. The technology for solar powered vehicles is almost here.

China has just put out its own solar powered car made by the Chinese car company DianZi. The great thing about this car is that you can buy it practically for a song and dance at just under $5600 bucks,but remember that this is just a first generation solar powered car and as such it wont be the perfect dream car. The bad part of it is that it needs about 30 hours to fully recharge the solar unit on top of the car but once its charged it can go up to 90 miles per charge so that is actually 50 miles more gas free than the Chevy volts but the volt gets charged up almost 5 times as fast.

They are not the only company working on a solar powered car. There are rumors now that Toyota itself has thrown its hat into the solar powered vehicle sector but this one differs from the other Chinese model in that it is a hybrid solar powered car. It will get about 30% of its power from the solar panel units on its roof while getting the rest through either gasoline or any type of biofuel. Toyota also publicly stated that it intends to one day develop a car that will get all of its power exclusively from the sun. Obama has also stated he will earmark a larger percentage to alternative energy vehicles than his predecessor President Bush . If he is really serious about this, it will mark a good start for his presidency and put us one step away from being totally dependent on Opec for its oil.

Incoming search terms for the article:

As the United States and the European Union rush to find solutions to global climate change many less than ideal choices are being selected. Consider the growing demand for the biofuel E85. According to the Clean Air Trust in 2007 one out of every eight gallons of gas sold contains ethanol. What is E85? E85 is an ethanol based biofuel. In the United States it is largely produced from corn.

In the United States, our government has made the decision to back the corn based E85 biofuel. This government led support has dramatically increased demand for E85. How does the demand for biofuels like E85 effect us? Does it affect our health? Does it affect our environment? These questions become important when we consume more than four billion gallons of ethanol each year.

Clean Burning Ethanol?

While it is true that when burned pure ethanol release less hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in comparison to pure gasoline, it is also true we rarely burn pure ethanol in our vehicles. We burn E5, E10, E85 and E95, all ethanol mixes of varying purity – the most common being E85. E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% petroleum. When compared to pure ethanol, burning E85 is vastly more toxic. According to the Clean Air Trust, burning E85 produces ” peroxyacetyl nitrate, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde.”

Burning Food for Fuel

Every single day nearly 820 million people in developing nations do not have enough food to eat. This results in hunger and in some cases starvation. When we choose to convert food crops such as corn into biofuels like E85, we force food prices up. As the price of food rises it inevitably becomes unaffordable to many of the world poorest. Rising food prices have already sparked food riots in Mexico and Morocco. Recently, the World Food Program warned that rapidly rising food costs and threatening emergency food supplies.

Are All Biofuels Bad?

All biofuels are not bad. When efficiently produced or when produced from organic waste such as waste chocolate near their local markets biofuels may be part of the solution to global climate change. As an environmentally conscious consumer it is up to you to understand the differences between various types of biofuels and to see through potential green washing.

A Possible Solution

Since not all biofuels are bad, many are efficiently created and don’t force humans and their vehicles in to a competition over food. Existing technologies such as Brazilian sugar cane derived ethanol is vastly more efficient to produce than our E85 and new technologies that convert food waste into biofuel are also promising. To sort the environmentally sound biofuels from those that are not we need to establish strong global standards. Is a drive in our car worth depriving a starving child of food? We shouldn’t be forced to ask this question and strong global standards on biofuels can prevent us from having to.

Incoming search terms for the article:

What makes biofuels score lower compared to solar or wind power among those working for climate change mitigation? Biofuels are renewable energy, it being derived from bio-mass of living plants or biological materials. However, biofuels still use the same internal combustion engine that produces CO2. The only advantage biofuels has over fossil fuel is that before it is extracted from living sources, which are most plants or crops, and during the lifetime of these plants, they have absorbed so much CO2. Thus, biofuels are categorized to be at least carbon neutral. While it may not be the perfect answer to our excessive carbon output, it’s definitely a start.

Sugar and starch rich plants are sources of ethanol, a substance that could effectively replace gasoline. Oil-rich plants such as palms, coconuts, jatropha, etc. could be processed into coco methyl ester to replace diesel fossil fuels. Today, several countries have required oil companies to blend a graduated level of biofuels, ethanol and biodiesel or CME into gasoline and diesel products, respectively. This way, biofuel producers will have a fair share of the market to allow them develop competitively.

Experts believe that the fossil fuels have become depleted. The only remaining sources are located in places where extraction is already costly, and thus, resulting to higher prices. They have named this the “peak oil” scenario, and some countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have invested heavily on biofuel crops such as oil palm. They have planted millions of hectares with oil palm and encouraged the agriculture sector to move to industrial crops used to produce ethanol.

Most people are skeptical about these ventless wonders. They remember how often a chimney for a wood-burning fireplace gets clogged and how miserable it makes everyone. If anyone in the house has a compromised breathing system, the consternation is even deeper. It’s hard to believe that there can be a fire that gives out warmth and looks inviting without also spewing fumes.

Well, if the room is reasonably ventilated, the ventless fireplaces work well. You usually need to have one window open just a bit, but you’ll find that the warmth it puts out is very nice and you’ll probably not notice any fumes at all.

But wait! It gets better! If you choose a ventless fireplace that burns biofuel, there are essentially no fumes at all. There’s a little steam and a minuscule amount of carbon dioxide, not enough to be concerned about, and not enough that you will smell it.

It’s very good news that there are many of these on the market right now. You don’t need a fireplace with a chimney at all. You can even hang one of these on a wall. You can have two or three around your house to make your living spaces more comfortable and more gracious and heating them less costly. You can be certain that you are not contributing to the environmental gases that are leading us to a global-warming disaster in the not-too-distant future.

Where can you find these? Many dealers are currently marketing them. Some are dealers who are already in the fireplace business. However, there are many new dealers in the marketplace, so look around and do your research.

Just how do these wonders of the 21st century work?

Ethanol is sometimes called grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol and has a unique scent. The reason it is so apropos for a fireplace is that it’s very flammable. However, before it comes to you it will be denatured with additives and will be toxic for human consumption, so you’ll want to be careful where you store. It is ideal for fuel because of its high efficiency.

Even if you live in a small apartment, you can use one of these. The mess and maintenance of wood-burning fireplaces are a thing of the past. The ethanol fireplace is highly appropriate for the age when we live such active lives and are unwilling to allow them to be unnecessarily cluttered. They cost less to operate than the electric fireplaces that have become so popular in recent years and are bound to become more popular as the word gets out.

To find dealers online, just Google ethanol fireplace and you’ll find many dealers and will be able to compare models and prices. You can also find the fuel online.

By the way, if you have an outdoor fire pit, look into an ethanol burner that will work in it. You’ll reduce the fire danger from an outdoor wood fire and you’ll have a convenient means of heating your patio.

Copyright (c) 2009 Wes Fernley

Incoming search terms for the article:

What is Methanol? Well it is wood alcohol or methl-alcohol and for automobiles there is an M85 Blend, which is like the Ethanol E85 Blend. The M85 Blend has 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent methanol. In the United States our methanol blends use natural gas but we can also make it from coal, biogas, sewage were even cow pies, pasture patties, meadow muffins, sidewalk Sundays and well, you get the point.

The good thing about methanol is the octane rating is fairly high in that means good performance and even better performance than normal gasoline. The methanol can be unstable it is used in some high performance racecars, but when it is mixed with gasoline it is not quite is dangerous.

Since most methanol is made from natural gas and natural gas can be expensive it can be problematic and it is difficult to store because it is very corrosive. Ethanol is much more efficient and you get better economy than with ethanol. Ethanol refineries cost less to build also, as methanol refineries are really distilleries and when you make methanol from natural gas you actually get CO2, which believes the atmosphere or has to be collected.

All in all ethanol is the better bet and this is why ethanol E85 has been chosen as the biofuel of choice for our cars. Of course Methanol makes sense to power other things and it can be an option in other endeavors. Consider this in 2006.

Incoming search terms for the article:

Inflate your tires and don’t drive too quickly. Everyone has heard these tips before, but what can be done to your engine to improve gas mileage?

The most important thing that you can do to your engine in order to improve gas mileage is to get regular tune-ups. When your engine is running at peak efficiency, you will burn less gas every time your car runs. You can save as much as 20 percent on your current rate of fuel usage just by getting a tune-up.

Something you can do on your own is to check your spark plugs. Spark plugs ignite gasoline via an electric spark. Worn spark plugs may cause problems such as misfiring. When your car misfires, it uses more gas to re-fire. It can also make your car difficult to start causing you to pump the gas pedal using even more gas as you flood the engine trying to get your car started. If you’re not sure what a spark plug should look like, there are many helpful websites online that include photographs of damaged spark plugs.

Malfunctioning fuel systems also drain your gas. During a tune-up, the technician will check your fuel system for malfunctions. When your fuel system runs at maximum efficiency, you save more on gas.

If these don’t seem like enough, there are those who go to more extreme methods by converting their engines to run on more economical types of fuel. There are options such as a Brown’s Gas system which converts water to a usable energy form, ethanol, and biofuel just to name a few options. Whether you are looking for ideas on conservative methods for tuning up your engine, or looking for an entire system overhaul, your engine is the most important part of your car. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

Incoming search terms for the article:

Ethanol cars work in a way very similar to normal gasoline cars, and are a great viable alternative fuel option because of current high gas prices. The only real difference is that ethanol car engines are able to utilize the biofuel ethanol instead of oil based gasoline.

Ethanol fuel itself is extracted from plants such as corn or sugarcane, and refined into an alcohol. This alcohol is suitable to be used as a biofuel in cars and other vehicles. Most hybrid automobile engines that use ethanol can also use gasoline, and are also called “flex-fuel” engines. The ethanol is injected into the engine in the same way as a non-hybrid automobile engine. Though ethanol gives slightly less miles per gallon than gasoline, it doesn’t create as much air pollution when it is burned.

The similarities between ethanol “flex-fuel” engines and standard engines make ethanol cars cheaper than most alternative or hybrid vehicles, because they are built in much the same way as a regular engine. Ethanol is actually cheaper in some cases than gasoline, and thus a hybrid that runs on ethanol can be less expensive to operate than a gasoline based vehicle.

Most standard automobiles can even run on a 10% mixture of ethanol in gasoline. Many gas stations around the world offer ethanol as an alternative to gasoline, and in some countries cars are required to run on ethanol.

You can find out more information about Hybrid Cars at ProHybrid.com along with video news, reviews, and tools such as price quotes and an automotive loan calculator.

Incoming search terms for the article:

In the spirit of being conservative and fully disclosing all material facts, oil promoters should abide by all federal and state securities laws when soliciting units in limited partnerships or other investment vehicles. I am not a securities attorney, but will try to educate investors as best as possible going forward on proper procedures for operators. Through research, discussion with state regulators, and securities attorneys, I hope to shed some light on unfair practices in the direct participation oil & gas business. The problem is that promoters often profit even before drilling a hole due to skewed costs presented to unknowing investors. There is nothing I hate more than a liar and crook.

In fairness to my readers, this is especially important to me since I have been directly affected by improperly prepared offering memorandum. Prior to becoming a direct oil & gas investor, I was also a passive investor with an operator. The result of the findings of the federal and state regulators is still pending, but could have serious consequences for me as an investor. This wake up call has led me on a mission to learn as much as possible about proper private placement offerings. I hope to be the most compliant operator, if and when I ever raise money. At first glance, the state of Kentucky seems to have an excellent process for operators registering securities to be sold in their state. I have contacted the Securities Division in KY and have forwarded some interview questions for future articles.

Also, I have found a very comprehensive site for investors to research potential partners in the industry. The Venture Research Institute seems to be the most informative website on oil & gas fraud I have found: http://www.vcresearch.info/open/forums.asp. I will also be looking to interview Bernie Bicoy, in admin at the site, for upcoming articles. Bernie Bicoy takes an objective view on the investigative process and has assembled a fantastic collection of information for prospective investors.

It seems as though there needs to be a concerted effort by federal and state regulators to create a uniform “Best Practices” test. Knowing how government works, I would not bet on that, therefore, it should be that promoters go above and beyond to provide full disclosure. Promoters should take the time to introduce themselves to the securities laws in the states they are offering securities and look to go above and beyond to be good corporate citizens. I know for sure I will strive to achieve that level of responsibility as a future operator.

Incoming search terms for the article: