Biofuels

Often touted as a great "green" solution, biofuels have had the much ballyhooed support of the auto industry, politicians and midwest corn farmers. But there are hitches, especially with regards to biofuels like corn-based ethanol. The biggest problem is the more corn is used in ethanol production, the less is available for food — resulting in increased world food prices. Moreover, it takes a lot of input energy to produce ethanol: for harvesting, processing and transporting. Some researchers even claim that the net energy of ethanol is actually negative when all inputs are included. It takes more energy to make ethanol than it produces.

Greens have got themselves in a huge tangle over biofuels. Some are in favour of biofuels because they will help fight climate change, while others are vehemently against them because they could cause hunger and trash the environment. Biofuel research continues, however, and third generation biofuels such as algae and jatropha may produce significantly higher returns per acre, and not compromise food supplies or stimulate higher food prices.de

What is biofuel and bioenergy?

Defining biofuel and bioenergy. Includes the types of solid, liquid and gas biofuels. How biofuels work, how they are being used and developments in bioenergy and flexible fuel vehicles...

Biofuel Pros and Cons

Though biofuels are environmentally much cleaner than fossil fuels they are not without some complicated issues. Here we examine both the pros and cons of producing and using biofuels...

Solid Biomass

Solid biomass, what it is, how it is used plus benefits and limitations. Types of solid biomass reviewed here include: animal waste, bagasse, wood, garbage, plant material and charcoal...

Vegetable Oil Fuels

There are two main types of vegetable oil fuels: straight vegetable oil, or SVO and waste vegetable oil, or WVO. Both can be used in modified diesel engines though for efficient combustion, vegetable oil fuel must...

Ethanol and other Bioalchohols

There are four basic bioalcohols: butanol, ethanol, methanol and propanol. All these alcohols can be derived from biomass and the resulting biofuel has higher octane than gasoline. Regardless of which one is used, gasohol...

Pros and Cons of Ethanol

Unfortunately ethanol production comes with a substantial environmental dilemma. Ethanol made from corn is actually worse for the environment than fossil fuels because it takes more energy to raise the corn...

Biodiesel

Biodiesel: what it is, how it is used, plus its benefits and limitations of biodiesel. Also an explanation of transesterification, the chemical process that makes biodiesel. It is possible to run a diesel vehicle on plain vegetable oil ...

Biogas

Biogas, what it is, how it is made, best uses, plus benefits and limitations. Biogas is the result of the controlled microbial breakdown of organic materials such as animal manures or food scraps in an anaerobic digester. ...

Anerobic Digestion: How Biodigesters Work

Biodigesters recover biogas (methane) from animal manure through a process called anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic processes can be managed in a "digester" (an airtight tank) or a covered lagoon for waste treatment...

P-Series Fuels

P-Series fuels are a new type of biofuel that use up an overabundant resource: garbage. cooker will "digest" millions of tons of liquefied biomass and paper waste into a slippery chemical soup equivalent to light crude oil...

Biofuels from Algae

Could the future of renewable energy be found in pond scum? Algae do not require prime agricultural land and has a potential yield that far exceeds other renewable sources. Even better, algae could efficiently absorb the carbon...

Biofuels copyright 2011 Digtheheat.com