Alternative Energy - Vegetable Based Biofuels

There are two main types of biofuels which are already available to some extent, ethanol and vegetable oils.

Oil based biofuels can be produced from a wide variety vegetable oils such as Castor oil, Coconut oil, Corn oil, Cottonseed oil, False flax oil, Mustard oil, Palm oil, Peanut oil, Radish oil, Rapeseed oil, Ramtil oil, Rice bran oil, Safflower oil, Salicornia oil, Soybean oil, Sunflower oil, Algae oil, Copaiba, Honge oil, Jatropha oil and Jojoba oil. Plants containing a high amount of starch/sugar such as sugar cane, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum can be used to produce ethanol (ethyl alcohol) using a fermentation process.

In fact almost any photosynthetic plants can be used for biofuel production, however some plants yield their biofuels more readily and with greater efficiency than others.

Vegetable oil based biodiesel fuels can be safely blended with conventional petroleum derived diesel fuels and used in most vehicles without modification (although older vehicles that use rubber fuel hoses and pump seals need to have these components replaced, car manufacturers have been using synthetics in place of rubber since the late 80’s). The use of vegetable oil as fuel has beeen shown to extend diesel engine life and has been used in Europe for over 20 years now. In fact the original diesel engine produced by Rudolf Diesel in 1892 ran on peanut oil!

Ethanol type fuels can also be used in many vehicles without modification but only up to a point, 10-15% ehtanol/gas mix seems to be safe for most vehicles, however simple adjustments to the fuelling system can increase these figures greatly. It is worth noting that Henry Ford designed the Model T Ford to run on 100% ethanol! In the US several manufacturers produce flex-fuel vehicles can run on 0% to 85% ethanol mix (in fact they could run on 100% ethanol but this is currently prohibited).

However there is growing controversy surrounding these existing biofuels. In the case of ethanol, it is reported that although the use of ethanol in vehicles reduces CO2, carcinogenic benzene and butadiene emissions, but the levels of formaldehyde and associated compounds such as such as formalin and acetaldehyde are greatly increased generating more ground level ozone (which has led to legislation effectively banning ethanol as a fuel in some states). Then there is the huge food versus fuel debate, diverting crops for biofuel use to the detriment of the food supply is thought to have caused a steep rise in global food prices and increased food scarcity.

It is likely that the future of the biofuel industry lies with non food crops and second generation biofuels (using the residual non-food parts of current crops, such as stems, leaves and husks that are left behind or from other organic waste). The current front runner in the biofuels race has to be algae fuel, described by some as third generation biofuel. Algae straijns such as Botryococcus braunii and Chlorella vulgaris, can be cultivated in vast quantities on non arable land with no fertilsers and very low input energy requirements. Producing over 30 times more energy per acre than conventional food crops algae could well be the future of biofuel, in fact we are already seeing new terminology appearing in technical journals such as algaculture and oilgae!

Algae - the answer to our Oil Dependency

It will come as no suprise to learn that many families are cutting back on expenditure due to gas prices. The cost of commuting to work for many is now a burden on theior financial resources. This has created a huge interest in alternative sources of fuel for automobiles and a rush to offset our dependence on oil.

Biodiesel was possibly the first alternative fuel to be touted as a possible mainstream option to gas. Produced from crops like soya and corn using simple technology, biodiesel initially became the popular and many reckoned that this fuel was the answer to our needs. However, biodiesel production is not without problems. Using food crops to produce fuel means less food is produced, in addition with many farmers jumping on the biodiesel bandwagon the cost of corn and soya rose sharply as they could sell crops at higher prices for biodiesel rather than food. In any case traditional food crops like soya and corn are simply not very efficient at producing oil, an acre of soybeans produces around 50 gallons of oil and corn is even worse at 20 gallons!

So, although biodiesel seems like a good idea, if it is to be produced in large quantities and at competitive prices, a new source will be required.

Enter algae, once regarded as a nuisance, algae is now being shown in a new light. One acre of algae will produce approximately 10,000 gallons of biodiesel per year (around 200x more efficient than corn). This incredible output is one of the major reasons why many believe that algae biodiesel could be the fuel of the future. It would take just 15000 square miles of algae farms to produce enough biodiesel to power all the vehicles in the USA!

It is even possible to create cost effective algae biodiesel on a small scale, even at home simply for personal use. The process is fairly simple and does not require a great deal of knowledge and skill, reducing or eliminating your dependence on fossil fuels while reducing cost of fuel (small scale biodiesel from algae can be produced for less than $1 per gallon). Algae biodiesel has a number of advantages over other fuels:-

• Algae are not food crops and therfore have no effect on crop prices nor do they displace food production
• Algae grow fast even in areas not suited to conventional crops and no fresh water is requires, algae will thrive in saltwater environments as long there is sunshine
• Algae sequesters massive amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. Algae was in fact responsible for creating the Earths present day oxygen rich atmosphere millions of years ago by recycling CO2 and producing oxygen