Bio Fuels What are They and Are They Any Good?
July 21st, 2008
Bio fuels are simply fuels that are formed when biological material decomposes. The most common forms of bio-fuels come from plant materials. However bio fuels do exists in three states of matter, solid, liquid and gas.
What are the Major Difference between Bio-fuels and Fossil Fuels?
Well Bio fuels differ in many ways but the most common differences between fossil fuels and bio fuels are;
1. Fossil fuels take millions of years to create whereas bio fuels can be made relatively quickly, in some cases a matter of days
2. The Burning of Fossil Fuels generates huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Bio fuels are generally considered greener, but still have their problems in regards to pollutions which we will look at shortly.
3. Fossil Fuels are non-renewable, Bio Fuels are a renewable source of energy.
Bio fuels have been categorized into 4 different types. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages inherit in each type. The four different types of bio-fuels are: first generation, second generation, third generation and fourth generation.
First Generation Bio Fuels. This kind of bio fuel is derived from vegetable fats, starch and sugars. Bio Fuels using food crops like corn, and sugar cane are what most people think about when they hear the word bio fuels. The other main form of first generation bio fuels is from fatty material like vegetable oils, restaurant oil waste etc. The main advantage of this type of bio fuel is it’s readily obtainable. For the most part bio fuels using food crops can be made as fast as one can turn around a crop making it very pleasing. The disadvantage is the impact on food prices. One cannot really fault the farmer to grow a crop that will generate the most revenue, but the problem lies in that it causes the price for a particular crop to rise and if that crop is also a source of food then well as we all know it will result also in an increase in food cost. The other major disadvantage of first generation bio fuels is the fact that they really aren’t a green fuel solution and are as dirty as fossil fuels. Why? Well you have to factor in all of the cost associated with production in this. That includes the fuel used to run the tractor to grow the crop, the fuel it takes to transport it to a refinery and the fuel it takes to process and make the stuff. The end result is, first generation bio fuels are just as dirty as burning fossil fuels.
However this is in reference to commercial grade first generation bio fuels. For those people who can and are interested in making their own bio fuels from material like waste vegetable oil a lot of the major downsides to this form of bio fuel is avoided for more information about making your own bio fuel I would suggest going here a great source in learning how to make your own bio fuels.
Second Generation Bio Fuels. This generation of bio fuels is derived from waste biomass, from such sources as landfill sites etc. This kind of bio fuel makes for a more balanced option compared to the first-generation bio-fuels. Fuel created from wood pulp also falls into this category. While this generation is more green friendly it is still subject to the same downfall as the first generation fuels but without as great of an eco imprint.
The third generation comprises of bio-fuels derived from algae. Algae are farmed on large scales for creating these bio-fuels. The algae fuels are extremely environment-friendly as they can easily decompose into the soil without harming it. The problem of course is in developing technologies that will enable this kind of bioo fuel to be more cost effective to make.
The bio-fuels in the fourth generation are derived by a method in which micro-organisms are raised to work with carbon dioxide to generate fuel. This is perhaps one of the more exciting options but not very much is known at this stage and what kind of impact it might have as well as is this method economically a viable solution as well.
We have touched on a brief outline on bio-fuels and while the subject is still under a lot of debate it is important to note that while my personal opinion is that currently commercial bio-fuels might not be as eco friendly as we would like learning to make your own bio-fuel eliminates most of the negative argument in regards to creating this type of fuel. For more information on how to make your own bio-fuel check out making your own bio fuel.
Other Suggested Sources on BioDiesel