Mean Green

Biofuels are moving fuels like ethanol and biodiesel is a diesel that is finished from biomass resources. These fuels are generally merged with the petroleum fuels – gasoline and diesel fuel. They can also be used individually as well. Using ethanol or biodiesel facilitates lesser burning than fossil fuel. However, ethanol and biodiesel are unfortunately, more expensive than the fossil fuels. Nevertheless, they are uncontaminated fuels, producing smaller quantity of air pollutants and are safer and greener to the environment.

Ethanol is an alcoholic fuel prepared from the sugars found in grains, such as corn, sorghum, and wheat, along with potato skins, rice, sugarcane, sugar beets, and yard clippings. Biodiesel is prepared from vegetable oils, fats, or greases. Biodiesel fuels can be used in diesel engines not including any changes in them. It is the best ever budding substitute petroleum in countries such as United States. Biodiesel is a renewable source of energy and thus is safe, recyclable, and decreases the release of the majority air toxins. It is no doubt an eco-friendly version of diesel.

It is frequently asserted that biofuels are carbon-neutral as they release CO2 when burnt that was previously present in the atmosphere. There is a considerable CO2 discharge from the refinery and distillery processes required to make biodiesel or bioethanol, as well as for transport, the use of ranch machinery, and manure production. Biodiesel, in particular, is connected to high releases of the powerful and long-term greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, released by microbes when nitrogen fertilizers are applied to soils, and also throughout the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers.

There are two main types of biofuels for transport:

Bioethanol, which is an alcohol derivative of sugar or starch, for example from sugar beet, cane or from corn, and

Biodiesel, derivative of vegetable oils, for example from rapeseed oil, jatropha, soy or palm oil.

United States is the world’s biggest bioethanol manufacturer, and this books for 99% of their biofuel for road transport. The region is, as of yet, the world’s chief biodiesel creator, and prefer biodiesel than bioethanol. It is discovered that ethanol has preferably less greenhouse gas releases than petrol.

Among the biofuel crops grown in Europe and the US, biodiesel is usually measured to be more energy competent than bioethanol. A few biodiesel crops, such as oilseed rape are developed with huge magnitude of fertilizers, which compensate for a lot of the greenhouse gas reserves.

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As the new millennium begins, people have never been so eco-conscious. In recent years, the imminent threat of global warming has compelled us to re-consider how we do and make things. This is most especially true when it comes to our daily means of transport — the car — which unfortunately, ranks among the major contributors of air pollution (and noise pollution) in the world. Thankfully, scientists are continuing to explore new ways to address this. One of these is the use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV).

An AFV is any vehicle that doesn’t run on petrol or diesel fuel, although a car can be considered an AFV if it doesn’t rely exclusively on petroleum to function (like hybrid cars, which rely on petrol fuel and electricity). What are the different kinds of AFV? Let’s find out.

Hybrids. Hybrids use both gasoline and electricity to run. These vehicles normally feature an internal combustion engine and a battery pack which combine to give the vehicle its propulsion power. Hybrid cars have gained popularity over the years — the most common examples are the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight.

Battery Electric Vehicles. As its name applies, a BEV depends on the power of its battery pack. BEVs are among the cleanest vehicles because they don’t produce any carbon emission at all. Battery types may include nickel cadmium, lithium-ion, zinc-air or lead-acid batteries.

Biofuel Cars. Bioalcohol (or Ethanol) and Biodiesel are two types of biofuels that can be used on automobiles. There are still biofuel cars available today but most prefer the flexible-fuel vehicle.

Flexible-fuel Vehicles. With FFVs, you can use more than one type of alternative fuel. This is possible through the use of a multifuel engine which allows you to mix certain alternative fuels in the tank and is combusted as one. These cars are mostly found in the US and South America.

“Gas”-Powered Cars. Certain types of AFVs also run using compressed natural gas, biogas, liquid petroleum gas (or autogas), nitrogen gas, propane and hydrogen. Usually, these cars are your standard petroleum-using vehicles whose engines are modified to burn the alternative gaseous fuels.

The Solar Car. Solar cars use solar panels in order to harness the power of the sun. This type of AFV has been around for decades but unfortunately, no practical prototype has been developed yet for the masses. Nevertheless, countless solar car contests and races are being held every year and participated in by schools and universities all over the world.

AFVs may be environment-friendly but it has its disadvantages, too. AFVs are still a bit more expensive than the usual cars in the market and the availability of alternative fuels is still very limited. But still, the future promises more developments, new possibilities. Who knows? The first commercially-successful AFV may just be around the corner.