Alternative fuels

Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels. Conventional fuels include: fossil fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, propane, and natural gas), and nuclear materials such as uranium. Some well known alternative fuels include biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol, butanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil,and other biomass sources.

Contents

1 Background 2 Biofuel
o

2.1 Biomass

3 Alcohol fuels 4 Hydrogen 5 HCNG 6 Liquid nitrogen 7 Compressed air 8 Alternative fossil fuels 9 Nuclear power 10 References

Background
The main purpose of fuel is to store energy, which should be in a stable form and can be easily transported to the place of production. Almost all fuels are chemical fuels. We as a user use this fuel to perform mechanical work, such as powering an engin

Biofuel
Main article: Biofuel

Alternative fuel dispensers at a regular gasoline station in Arlington, Virginia. B20 biodiesel at the left and E85 ethanol at the right. Biofuels are also considered a renewable source. Although renewable energy is used mostly to generate electricity, it is often assumed that some form of renewable energy or at least it is used to create alternative fuels.

Biomass
Biomass in the energy production industry is living and recently dead biological material which can be used as fuel or for industrial production.

Alcohol fuels
Main articles: Alcohol fuel, Ethanol fuel, and Methanol fuel

Methanol and Ethanol fuel are typically primary sources of energy; they are convenient fuels for storing and transporting energy. These alcohols can be used in "internal combustion engine as alternative fuels"

Hydrogen
Hydrogen as a fuel has been suggested to have the capability to create a hydrogen economy.

HCNG
HCNG (or H2CNG) is a mixture of compressed natural gas and 4-9 percent hydrogen by energy. It may be used as a fuel gas for internal combustion engines and home appliances.

Liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is another type of emissionless fuel. A liquid nitrogen vehicle is powered by liquid nitrogen, which is stored in a tank. The engine works by heating the liquid nitrogen in a heat exchanger, extracting heat from the ambient air and using the resulting pressurized gas to operate a piston or rotary engine. Liquid nitrogen propulsion may also be incorporated in hybrid systems, e.g., battery electric propulsion and fuel tanks to recharge the batteries.

Compressed air
The air engine is an emission-free piston engine using compressed air as fuel. Unlike hydrogen, compressed air is about one-tenth as expensive as fossil oil, making it an economically attractive alternative fuel.

Alternative fossil fuels

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a cleaner burning alternative to conventional petroleum automobile fuels. The energy efficiency is generally equal to that of gasoline engines, but lower compared with modern diesel engines. CNG vehicles require a greater amount of space for fuel storage than conventional gasoline power vehicles because CNG takes up more space for each GGE (Gallon of Gas Equivalent). Almost any existing gasoline car can be turned into a bi-fuel (gasoline/CNG) car. However, natural gas is a finite resource like all fossil fuels, and production is expected to peak gas soon after .

Nuclear power
Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. The most common method today is through nuclear fission, though other methods include nuclear fusion and radioactive decay. All current methods involve heating a working fluid such as water, which is then converted into mechanical work for the purpose of generating electricity or propulsion. Today, more than 15% of the world's electricity comes from nuclear power, over 150 nuclear-powered naval vessels have been built, and a few radioisotope rockets have been produced.

References
1. ^ "Hydrogen/Natural Gas (HCNG) Fuel Blends". Eere.energy.gov. 2009-10-07. http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/natural_gas_blends.html. Retrieved 201007-11.

Typical Brazilian filling station with four alternative fuels for sale: biodiesel (B3), gasohol (E25), neat ethanol (E100), and compressed natural gas (CNG). Piracicaba, So Paulo, Brazil.

Alternative fuel vehicle

An alternative fuel vehicle is a vehicle that runs on a fuel other than "traditional" petroleum fuels (petrol or diesel); and also refers to any technology of powering an engine that does not involve solely petroleum (e.g. electric car, hybrid electric vehicles, solar powered). Because of a combination of factors, such as environmental concerns, high oil prices and the potential for peak oil, development of cleaner alternative fuels and advanced power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for many governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world. Hybrid electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius are not actually alternative fuel vehicles, but through advanced technologies in the electric battery and motor/generator, they make a more efficient use of petroleum fuel. Other research and development efforts in alternative forms of power focus on developing all-electric and fuel cell vehicles, and even the stored energy of compressed air. As of July 2010 more than 40 million alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles have been sold worldwide, compared to around 900 million cars and light trucks in use in the world in 2009. This alternative fuel fleet is made up mainly of:

20.7 million flexible-fuel vehicles by mid 2010, led by Brazil with 10.6 million followed by the United States with 9.3 million, Canada (600,000), and Europe, led by Sweden (199,004), Additionally, 183,375 flexible-fuel motorcycles were sold in Brazil in 2009.

11.2 million natural gas vehicles by 2009, led by Pakistan with 2.4 million, Argentina (1.8 million), Iran (1.7 million), Brazil (1.6 million), and India (725 thousand).

Between 2.4 to 3.0 million neat-ethanol vehicles still in use in Brazil,[10][11] out of 5.7 million ethanol only light-vehicles produced since 1979. More than 3.1 million hybrid electric vehicles sold by mid 2010, led by the United States with almost 1.8 million units, followed by Japan with more than 1.1 million and Europe with around 250 thousand. Worldwide, Toyota Motor Company is the leader with 2.68 million hybrids sold by July 2010, followed by Hda Motor Co., Ltd. with more than 300 thousand hybrids sold by January 2009, and Ford Motororporation with more than 140 thousand hybrids sold by June 2010.

Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle. Museum of Toyota of Aichi Prefecture, Japan.