Ethanol and Renewable Liquid Fuels

I am disappointed to learn that bio-fuels in their present form may be doing more harm than good. I took this from George Monbiot's article in the Guardian in December Worse than Fossil Fuels which shows how sections of forest with huge carbon content are being burned to plant palm oil trees for European bio-fuels. The European Union is trying to remedy this problem with new EU Biofuel Rules. The World Bank urges caution.

It is unlikely that consumption of fossil fuels can be drastically reduced without the use of renewable liquid fuels for transportation. Adapted cars can currently run on 85% ethanol, as many leading makes do in Brazil, and conventional cars can use 5% ethanol withour adjustment.

Ethanol has been produced primarily from grain surpluses in USA but this method of production would not enable the world transport fleet to operate even if all the arable land in the world were used. More efficient ways of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into oxygen and liquid fuel (via vegetation?) must be found. Could Aquahol be an answer? Or could the problems of hydrogen be overcome?

Ethanol from cellulose has been developed and should proceed to large scale production as an intermediate step before other more efficient routes are developed. New York plans to have the first plant in operation in 2008 but there have been difficulties. There is also concern that Jatrpha and similar invasive species may prove a danger to local agriculture.

The big gap is the use of bio-fuels in aircraft. Would a return to turboprop technology enable bio-fuel to be used? Are there other ways? Boeing, Virgin and others are starting to tackle this problem.

Malcolm

Group members

  • Malcolm
  • Tom Holloway (Warwick District U3A)
  • Peter Ridgway (Spelthorne U3A)

Ethanol

  1. Ethanol from Cellulose
  2. Sweet Sorghum Ethanol better than corn 17/05/08
  3. Jatropha Dangers to pasture 21/05/08
  4. Hydrogen Fuelled Cross-country 25/08/08
  5. Compost Bug brings Biofuel Hope 20/08/08
  6. Green Gasoline Research 30/04/08
  7. Big Plans for Algae to Ethanol 12/06/08
  8. Boeing Developing Biojet Fuel 02/03/08
  9. EU Biofuels Battle 22/04/08
  10. New Thermoelectric Material uses waste heat 02/08/08
  11. Biofuel Complexities - World Bank urges caution 09/05/08
  12. Ethanol is water and energy intensive 20/03/08
  13. Brazil - pioneers of bio-ethanol all leading makes 20/03/08
  14. Microbe Converts Cellulose to Ethanol 22/08/07
  15. US behind target for Ethanol Production from Waste 05/03/08
  16. Progress on Hydrogen Powered Vehicles
  17. First British Bioethanol 01/12/07
  18. Microbe power 21/10/07
  19. Ethanol from waste sugars 09/02/08
  20. Aquahol Eco Car Fuel could be an answer
  21. Worse than Fossil Fuels?
  22. Grain Ethanol Damage
  23. Sweden Proposes International Biofuels Market 13/08/07
  24. EU Biofuel Rules to remedy damage.
  25. Jatropha for Biodiesel looks better but could we get enough?
  26. New Biodiesel Crop in US NW could meet 10% of needs 15/11/07
  27. China Biofuels Danger
  28. Thailand Biodiesel Targets
  29. No Till Cropping Needed
  30. Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
  31. Celulosic Ethanol Difficulties
  32. Straw and Wood Chips race in USA
  33. Biofuels - a cure worse than the disease Guardian article by George Monbiot
  34. MIT report on direct injection of Ethanol to reduce knock onset

Fuel Cells, Hydrogen etc.

  1. GM launches 100 fuel cell cars in Jan 2008 - 30/10/07
  2. Hydrogen Fuel Advances in liquid compound form 28/08/07
  3. Rare Organism Produces Hydrogen 09/07/08
  4. Garbage into Gas Bankok 02/10/07
  5. Safer Hydrogen Propulsion 4/09/07


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