Alternative Energy for the Home
April 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioFuels, BioMass, Featured, Purchase Alternative Energy Products
The trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources, ranging from wind turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. We have great need of becoming more energy independent, and not having to rely on the supplying of fossil fuels from unstable nations who are often hostile to us and our interests. But even beyond this factor, we as individuals need to get “off the grid” and also stop having to be so reliant on government-lobbying giant oil corporations who, while they are not really involved in any covert conspiracy, nevertheless have a stranglehold on people when it comes to heating their homes (and if not through oil, then heat usually supplied by grid-driven electricity, another stranglehold).
As Remi Wilkinson, Senior Analyst with Carbon Free, puts it, inevitably, the growth of distributed generation will lead to the restructuring of the retail electricity market and the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. The power providers may have to diversify their business to make up for revenues lost through household energy microgeneration. She is referring to the conclusions by a group of UK analysts, herself included among them, who call themselves Carbon Free. Carbon Free has been studying the ever-growing trend toward alternative energy-using homes in England and the West. This trend is being driven by ever-more government recommendation and sometimes backing of alternative energy research and development, the rising cost of oil and other fossil fuels, concern about environmental degradation, and desires to be energy independent. Carbon Free concludes that, assuming traditional energy prices remain at their current level or rise, microgeneration (meeting all of one’s home’s energy needs by installing alternative energy technology such as solar panels or wind turbines) will become to home energy supply what the Internet became to home communications and data gathering, and eventually this will have deep effects on the businesses of the existing energy supply companies.
Carbon Free’s analyses also show that energy companies themselves have jumped in on the game and seek to leverage microgeneration to their own advantage for opening up new markets for themselves. Carbon Free cites the example of electricity companies (in the UK) reporting that they are seriously researching and developing ideas for new geothermal energy facilities, as these companies see geothermal energy production as a highly profitable wave of the future. Another conclusion of Carbon Free is that solar energy hot water heating technology is an efficient technology for reducing home water heating costs in the long run, although it is initially quite expensive to install. However, solar power is not yet cost-effective for corporations, as they require too much in the way of specialized plumbing to implement solar energy hot water heating. Lastly, Carbon Free tells us that installing wind turbines is an efficient way of reducing home electricity costs, while also being more independent. However, again this is initially a very expensive thing to have installed, and companies would do well to begin slashing their prices on these devices or they could find themselves losing market share.
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Biofuels That Look Like Gasoline
April 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioFuels, BioMass, Ethanol, Featured, Hybrid Cars
The offspring of Jay Keasling’s synthetic biology research and vision, Emeryville, CA-based Amyris Biotechnologies has made a double impact. First, the company, with more than $40 million of backing from the Bill Gates’ Institute for One World Health charity, developed a microbial route to the anti-malarial compound artemisinin. In and of itself this work was a stunningly successful scientific achievement, and the resulting process has been licensed to Sanofi-Aventis for low-cost manufacturing and distribution in the third world.
But how does that relate to biofuels? Well, producing the anti-malarial drug relied on the engineering of a metabolic pathway to produce a key intermediate that is in the class of chemicals called terpenes. Chemically, terpenes are hydrocarbons, similar to diesel or gasoline, and are therefore very good fuel compounds. Thus, the same basic science that led to artemisinin can be applied, with appropriate tweaking, to produce fuels based on terpenes. And according to the company, a desired fuel compound can be selected based on its properties (flash point, cloud point, boiling point, density, fuel value, etc), and then the pathway to produce it can be designed. Voila! You have a designer fuel. And being hydrocarbons with properties similar to gasoline, terpenes do not suffer from the limitations that alcohols (particularly ethanol) have as fuels. If you want to put something into your gas tank or jet engine, a designer hydrocarbon is likely to be superior to any alcohol. At least that is what Amyris argues.
Amyris has the backing of a well-heeled group of VCs: Kleiner Perkins, TPG Biotech, and DAG Ventures. In the area of bio-based production of gasoline-like fuels, Amyris is at the head of the class. Economics remain to be proven, but Amyris has formed a joint venture with the second largest Brazilian sugar producer, Crystalsev, to get access to inexpensive sugar feedstock, and the first demonstration plant is scheduled to be built right on the sugar plantation in Brazil by 2010. It will produce a biodiesel (with the interesting name of “No CompromiseTM”), currently being piloted at Amyris’ Emerville facility. Amyris promises that a bio-gasoline and a bio-aviation fuel are not far behind. If any company can make terpene-based fuels successfully, Amyris appears to be that company.
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David Rozzell maintains a web site and blog dedicated to the latest developments and news in biofuels, biocatalysis, and industrial biotechnology. For informative, sometimes amusing, always opinionated analysis go to http://www.bio-catalyst.com He has 25 years of experience in biocatalysis and industrial biotechnology, and speaks frequently at international symposia. He is available for consulting projects. Contact him at david@bio-catalyst.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Rozzell
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Facts and Myths about Biodiesel
December 16, 2008 by admin
Filed under Alternative Fuel, BioDiesel, BioFuels, BioMass
Most of the rumours spread about biodiesel damage is started by bandwagon jumpers who have never used biodiesel and sometimes may never even own a diesel car!. These people just love to use the internet to spread rumours, add their weight to the latest negative issues and start their own chinese whispers!.
Many people are also just perhaps passing on the experiences of a friend of a friend or even just repeating information given by other mis-informed individuals!. If you read the various motoring forums, then there is always somebody who has had a ‘negative’ experience of biodiesel. The again, if you read that closely there are people who have had fuel pump problems, engine damage, turbo failures on cars which have never even had a sniff of biodiesel!.
However, as with most things in life, there are some exceptions, and so a small risk, and so any owners venturing down the alternative fuel route will have to accept that all batches of biodiesel are different, and what may work for some will not work well for others.
Biodiesel will not damage your engine – however BAD biodiesel can!
Most of the genuine biodiesel problems occur when people have been careless about the quality of biodiesel which they pour into their cars. Well made and washed biodiesel will work in nearly all pre 2006 model cars without significant loss of power or any risk of damage. However there are suppliers out there who are not making biodiesel correctly, and those who are just selling Vegetable oil and thinners – which is NOT biodiesel.
Some people are also unaware that when first using biodiesel, it does clean out the fuel system and engine which can in turn, lead to blocked fuel filters. Although these are cheap and easy to replace, the effects of a blocked fuel filter (poor idle, sluggish, lack of power, limp home mode triggered in ECUs) are often confused with damage from Biodiesel, and reported as such!. However these are, in fact, perfectly normal signs of a blocked fuel filter and unlikely to cause damage.
Using biodiesel which hasn’t been filtered or washed properly, can cause fuel pump failure and injector problems and these are expensive to repair and replace. You do need to ensure that you buy from a reputable biodiesel supplier and read the feedback on forums (or ebay) to see the opinions of those who have bought from the biodiesel supplier before.
Owners forums and places like Pistonheads or TDICLUB can be a great source of information for biodiesel use – also have a look to see if there is a forum for owners of your particular make and model of car.
Myth:- Just pour in Vegetable Oil – its just the same as biodiesel but cheaper!
This statement is not only misleading, but it can also cause you expensive damage to your car!. Biodiesel is NOT the same as Vegetable oil.
There is no way that you should be just pouring new or used vegetable oil into your fuel tank without doing some serious research first, and possibly investing in a twin tank conversion for Veg Oil use!. If your car is a Direct Injection or Common Rail engined car, or manufactured after 2001, then there is a very good chance that your car will NOT run on Vegetable Oil and the risk of damage will result. Properly made Biodiesel will run in nearly all cars, and all types of engine including DI, TDI, HDI, CDI, TDDCI – however Vegetable Oil will only run in a fraction of much older types of car.
Vegetable oil is far thicker than Biodiesel, and so is more likely to not only clog up your fuel system, but also damage your fuel pump and clog up your injectors. Newer common rail diesel cars have extremely small, high pressure injection systems which will be quickly damaged by vegetable use, even when mixed with regular diesel!.
It is true that Biodiesel IS made from vegetable oil, often waste vegetable oil, and this is where the confusion often begins, however that is also where the connection between biodiesel and veg oil ends. To produce biodiesel, the waste oil has to be heated, dewatered, filtered and then mixed with other chemicals in a process called transestification, this process is then followed by more filtering, washing (to remove glycerine and methanol) and then polished – only then can it be called well made biodiesel, and only then should it find its way into your fuel tank!.
Myth:- Diesel Cars get better MPG from Biodiesel use
Opinions on this are mixed!, however in my own personal experience, there is a slight loss of MPG when using biodiesel instead of regular diesel. This is because Biodiesel has less energy than fossil diesel during the injection and combustion process, and so the fuel system needs to use slightly more fuel in order to produce the same amount of power compared to that needed on regular diesel.
It does however depend on the type of car, the type of fuel injection system and the types of journeys that you do!. There are some diesel owners who do get the same or slightly more MPG when running on biodiesel, however these tend to be older cars and on longer runs – if you do mainly short journeys where the engine does not reach normal operating temperature then the drop in MPG on biodiesel may be considerable.
Always factor in the price of biodiesel, compared to the loss experience in MPG. Sadly, some drivers are still filling up with biodiesel which only costs a few pence les than regular diesel, yet getting 5 – 10 mpg less on the same journeys. Obviously in these cases, it can cost you more in real terms than sticking with regular forecourt diesel, so always do the math!.
Myth:- Biodiesel cannot be used in new cars
Biodiesel can be used in any car which has a diesel engine!. However cars which have diesel particulate filters (DPF) should only be used on lower blends of biodiesel. This is because the DPF additive which is injected by the fuel system reacts adversely with biodiesel.
However, if you car does not have a DPF (Most pre 2006 models) then you can use well made biodiesel in any diesel engine, including IDI, DI, TDI, HDI, CDI, TDCI models.
If you have a warranty on a car, then you are not advised to use biodiesel in quantities above those which the manufacturers may recommend. However this doesn’t mean that your car will not run on biodiesel, or that damage will result. It is just common sense, because should the dealer note that your car is full of biodiesel during routine servicing, then it may be noted, and used as an excuse to get out of any warranty work in the future, even the non related fuel claims!.
Myth:- Using Biodiesel has more risks than benefits
If you are going to put homemade or untested commercially produced biodiesel into your car, then you have to accept that there are going to be some risks!. However these risks are on a par as other non manufacturer approved actions, such as fitting non manufacturer approved parts, fitting a tuning chip or other aftermarket accessories.
The main risk, is of course assessing the quality of the biodiesel, and making sure that it is of the highest quality. Diesel owners have successfully run many thousands of miles without any problems on biodiesel.
I have found that the cost savings of using biodiesel, coupled with much smoother running, cleaner emissions and the satisfaction of using a waste product that would be otherwise clogging up a sewer as a useful fuel, far outweigh the small risk of any long term damage.
Myth:- Biodiesel causes more wear and tear on your engine
Biodiesel is actually BETTER at lubricating diesel fuel pumps and engine components. If you are still concerned then I recommend the addition of Millers Power Plus 4 which will increase the cetane rating of your biodiesel making it combust more efficiently and also lubricate and clean the fuel system. Biodiesel also creates less soot when it burns, and so this should decrease the amount of soot, and carbon gunk in emissions control system such as EGR Valves and intercoolers.
Myth:- Biodiesel is easy to source
Biodiesel is actually getting harder to find in my experience, and sadly you may need to travel a fair distance in order to find a reliable source, or pay over the odds to a local supplier, as competition is few and far between. Sadly part of the reason that biodiesel is so scarce, is the lack of financial incentive given to them by the Government!.
Did you know that despite being an environmentally friendly fuel, Biodiesel only gets a small rebate in duty!. In the UK all commercial suppliers pay 30p of duty and VAT on each litre of biodiesel they produce.
So from every litre of biodiesel that you buy – 30p + VAT goes to the government in some form of Tax! and in most cases the Government actually earn more per litre of biodiesel produced than the actual producer. Given this point, it is hardly surprising that there is little biodiesel industry in the UK, and many biodiesel suppliers going out of business all of the time. However Biodiesel availability in Europe and especially the United States seems to be gaining ground, and in most U.S states, biodiesel is generally available in variations from B5 (5% biodiesel content) to B20 (20% biodiesel content) and even B99 (99% biodiesel content)
Myth:- Biodiesel is easy to make
Biodiesel is quite straightforward to make, requires care and attention to detail!. There are also some cautions which the glossy biodiesel processor brochures may not get across!.
Firstly, biodiesel production requires the use and handling of some nasty, corrosive and poisonous chemicals. Methanol poisoning can blind, maim and in sufficent quantities, even KILL. Equally, Lye powder is very corrosive and can burn down to the bone if it makes contact with unprotected skin.
When handling these chemicals, it is vitally important that you wear protective clothing, chemical gloves and also a full face mask. Also work in a well ventilated area, away from children and pets. When you mix the Lye and Methanol together, extremely poisonous and flammable fumes are produced and ideally the mixing should be done outside, and take place in a sealed container. Despite some websites refering to it, I wouldn’t be making biodiesel in my kitchen!
When buying a biodiesel processor, it is advisable to buy one which has a top mounted vent, allowing a hose to be fed from the processor to the outside in order to vent the processor whilst the reaction takes place. Never use an electric drill to mix the Meth and lye together as the sparks from the drill brushes may ignite the explosive vapours.
About the Author
A wide variety of Biodiesel equipment and chemicals can be purchased from the many suppliers listed at http://www.make-biodiesel.co.uk ( UK Visitors) and also http://usa.biodieselreactor.org/ (U.S Visitors)
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Hybrid Cars
November 19, 2008 by admin
Filed under BioFuels, BioMass, Ethanol, Hybrid Cars
A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses two or even more distinct sources of power in order to get propelled. Among the power sources for a hybrid car there are gasoline or diesel fuel, on-board or out-board rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS), hydrogen, wind, compressed or liquid natural gas, solar, coal, wood or other solid combustibles, etc. The term hybrid car/vehicle is used most frequently to refer to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in which an internal combustion engine is combined with one or more electric motors.
As mentioned above, there are other hybrid vehicles beside the hybrid car we will mainly deal with here. Just think of mopeds and electric bicycles. These are the simplest forms of hybrid vehicles. They combine the power from an internal combustion engine or electric motor with the power of the rider’s muscles. Then there are hybrid heavy vehicles like railway locomotives, buses, heavy goods vehicles, ships or mobile hydraulic machinery. Usually, the term hybrid car/ vehicle is used to refer to hybrid electric vehicles. This category includes the following types of automotives: AHS2 (Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, Saturn Vue), Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight and many others. A petroleum-electric hybrid car usually gets its power from an internal combustion engine (gasoline or diesel engine) and an electric battery.
The beginnings of the hybrid car date back to the late 1900s when David Arthurs, an electrical engineer from Arkansas, invented the braking regenerative hybrid. Besides the hybrid car as mentioned above, which uses two or more different propulsion devices, there are also vehicles which use distinct sources of energy or input types but only one engine. These are also considered by some people to be similar to the hybrid car. Actually the latter should be more appropriately called dual mode vehicles (electric trolleybuses, dual mode buses, flexible-fuel vehicles, etc).
A hybrid car presents a number of advantages from the environmental perspective and there are two sides to consider here. First, there is the aspect of fuel economy, and secondly, the benefit for the environment and, implicitly, for humankind is undeniable in the fight to reduce pollution. These two advantages and benefits brought about by the hybrid car are tributary to at least three elements in the design: the combination of gasoline and the electric motors, a battery with plenty of storage capacity and the possibility to re-capture important amounts of energy, which are normally wasted while braking.
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The Cost of Biomass
The skyrocketing price of fuels is posing a threat to the entire economy as well as the average consumer. In such situations, the use of Biomass energy can be a possible solution. Biomass is a biological or a natural material that can be used to produce energy. The sources of Biomass comprise a wide variety of materials such as dead trees, unused crops, forest and mill residues, animal wastes, aquatic plants and municipal and agricultural wastes.
When these materials are burned as fuel to produce energy, we get biomass energy. Other biomass materials such as ethanol, which is produced from corn and other leftover crops and biodiesel, which is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats can be used to create biomass energy that can even power transportation vehicles.
Today, biomass fuels are readily available. But biomass energy only accounts for about three per cent of energy used yearly in the United States. The main reason is the production cost of various bio energy fuels. The production cost does not match the production price of fossil fuels such as coal. This means the commercial production of Biomass is quite far-fetched at present. Hence there is an urgent need to cut down the production cost to make bio energy affordable. There should be an economic analysis of the commercialization of Biomass and concentration should be more on a wider commercial market. This will help to lower the production cost of biomass. According to Haq Z. in his book “Biomass for Electricity Generation” (2004) “By 2020, the United States is estimated to have a maximum of 7.1 quadrillion Btu of biomass available at prices of $5 per million Btu or lower.”
The society needs to be more open to the use of biomass as an energy resource. The trash that goes into our landfills can be readily used to produce Biomass. There will be no dependency on fossil fuels. This, in turn, will help the world economy as well as the environment.
About Author: Pauline Go is a professional writer for many websites. She also writes other great articles like Crude Oil Usage In USA, Do Fuel Savers Work?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go
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