Bio fuel - now closer than ever

The state of storage and the supply of fuel from fossil sources in the world is getting worse, "Katrina" accelerated the understanding of the need for substitutes: hydrogen engines, electric engines, "hybrid" / mixed engines, developed and gaining customers and fans, but the faster way is to create bio-diesel, a fuel produced from vegetable sources

The state of storage and the supply of fuel from fossil sources in the world is getting worse, "Katrina" accelerated the understanding of the need for substitutes: hydrogen engines, electric engines, "hybrid" / mixed engines, developed and gaining customers and fans, but the faster way is to create bio-diesel, a fuel produced from vegetable sources .

We have seen people trying to produce biodiesel from frying oils collected in restaurants, which provides enough fuel for "Curiosity" at the current stage. Commercial production is developing in the USA, where soybeans are grown for fuel. Australia and Russia are moving in a similar direction.

In Europe, in addition to research for the production of biodiesel, farmers began to grow a different kind of "fuel" Miscanthus - elephant grass is a cereal species known for its use as a hedge, it turns out that elephant grass burns at very high temperatures. Since while growing the grass absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and when it burns the gas is released, the "contribution" of the process to the greenhouse gas is zero.

After identifying the possibility, the developers managed to reach 15 tons of dry matter per acre. This with smaller expenses than any other crop, when according to an estimate about 10% of the agricultural land (that is not used) in Europe is suitable for growing the alternative "fuel". The European Union encourages farmers to grow elephant grass as a material to be used as fuel for power plants (to produce electricity) so that by 2008, 10% of electricity production will be "powered" by alternative fuel / elephant grass.

In Germany, a chemist developed a process to produce biodiesel from organic waste. The "inventor" published the development and added that "to get high-quality fuel, he added to the mixture cat carcasses that he collected on the sides of roads." The strange message drew many negative reactions, but: after the publications in our media about the amounts of garbage and animal carcasses thrown in the streams of the country, there may be a place to import the method.

In Nepal, an energy production project won an environmental award. The project called "the program to support the production of biogas" was successfully implemented in many districts. Biogas/methane is produced from cattle dung and is used for cooking, heating homes and lighting. The production of methane is a simple process: the dung/manure is sealed in containers, water is added, bacteria that live in it (in the stomachs of the cattle) separate the manure and emit methane gas collected at the top of the container into a pipe, the pipe can fill containers or connect to burners in the kitchen.

A little carbon dioxide gas remains in the manure tank, which is mixed with the dry material that is used as compost for fertilizing fields. According to the publications of the entrepreneurs, within a year, 140 kitchens were lit and heated. Saving 400 tons of firewood and 800,000 liters of oil. In addition, the emission of 600 tons of greenhouse gases will be avoided.

The profit is double and multiplied because by burning the methane produced from cattle dung, it is prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere (methane is a greenhouse gas), at the same time you save on burning trees, that is, you prevent the emission of carbon dioxide, the green trees absorb greenhouse gases. Triple profit for the environment and its inhabitants.

Another profit is the possibility of selling "pollutant emission rights" to industrialized countries, this according to the Kyoto Convention, the success of the method led to its copying to other countries in Asia and Africa.

My friend in the USA is engaged in installing a methanol injection system for diesel engines. According to the developer of the method, methanol injection increases engine performance by 20% - 30% and results in a 30% saving in fuel consumption, weighing the cost of methanol + the savings + the increase in flow, you get a decrease of about 40% in expenses, the burning of the fuel is improved and as a result a decrease of 20% in the amount the emitted pollutants.

The system consists of medium and large engines: trucks, well engines and water pumps, generators, etc., today after "Katrina" and the increase in fuel prices, the demand for the system is increasing. The only fear that motor owners avoid installing the system is the fear of drug addicts/alcoholics, who will tamper with the system to reach methanol which is considered a substitute for addictive substances and alcoholic beverages. The method was developed (in the country) by a new immigrant from Russia, after encountering the Israeli bureaucracy he transferred his activities to the USA, therefore he maintains anonymity and professional confidentiality.

In Australia, where they hope to produce 2010 tons of biofuel by 350, there are those who claim that it is important to carefully examine the (negative) environmental effects of biofuel (biofuel = gasoline + biological additives). One of the most important components of biofuel is ethanol produced from -Sugar. Ethanol is used as a fuel additive to improve combustion and reduce pollutant emissions, but according to Dr. Niven from the University of New South Wales there is a risk that ethanol vapors will contaminate groundwater. Also, the ethanol vapors that will be emitted will cause a process of smog formation, as a result of nitrogen oxide vapors and ozone that are toxic factors in smog (smog) created in cities.

There is also a claim that the use of bio-fuel will not greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions since the preparation/cooking and distillation process requires energy that will contribute to the emission of pollutants. Biodiesel, on the other hand, will be "clean" of such problems, an Australian factory produces biodiesel from waste collected from slaughterhouses, oil from restaurants and vegetable waste. The plant can produce 44 tons per year and they are initiating the construction of another plant larger than it, so the transition to biodiesel seems real.

In any case, even if the pollution problem is not fully resolved, it is clear that various substitutes will free consumers from dependence on oil.