The term biofuels refers to fuels that are produced using the decomposition of biological matter. Bio-fuels are most frequently derived from plants, and for this reason we sometimes hear the term agro-fuels. Bio-fuels occur in all the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
Differences between bio-fuels and fossil fuels
Bio-fuels are different from fossil fuels in several ways:
• Whereas it takes a million years for fossils fuels to be usable, bio-fuels can be made extremely fast, sometimes in a matter of days.
• While it is well established that burning fossil fuels generates large amounts of pollution, bio-fuels are comparatively cleaner to use.
• Bio-fuels are renewable sources of energy unlike fossil fuels, and some can even be produced from products of another plant industry. For example in Brasil, sugar cane is used first to produce sugar, but half of of the sugar cane grown is used for that, the other half, often of lesser quality, can be used to produced bio-fuels.
Different types of biofuels
Bio-fuels have been categorized into four types: first generation, second generation, third generation, and fourth generation.
The first generation biofuels are extracted from vegetable fats, starch, and sugar, which in turn are derived from food-crops. The first generation fuels can also be obtained from animal fats. Biogas, and bio-diesel, are just a couple examples of this type of bio-fuels. Oils and fats are hydrogenated to produce a diesel substitute, but edible vegetable oils are not used for this process, as lower quality oils are usually available.
The second generation of bio-fuels is mainly derived from waste biomass like the stalks of wheat or corn, and other non food crops. The second generation biofuels meets with more approval from both political and industry supporters. Cellulosic ethanol is such a biofuel, because it is produced from non food crops, it does not divert food from people or animals. However producing ethanol from cellulose can result in technical problems that can be hard to solve. In 2009 scientist are still working on solutions and improving the production of biofuels. Several kinds of alcohols and diesel generated from wood fall into the category of second generation bio-fuels.
The third generation is also called oilgae and is the type of bio-fuels derived from algae. Algae are a low input, high yield feedstocks farmed on large scales for creating these bio-fuels. Algae’s extremely environment-friendly fuels decompose easily into the soil without harming it. Scientists are also looking into commercializing a process that would collect ethanol that is produced naturally by algae. If successful this process would allow us to obtain biofuels from living algae.
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.
Advantages of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels prove advantageous in the following ways:
• Bio-fuels lessen the burden on gradually vanishing fossil fuels .
• Bio-fuels are more environment-friendly. Their use can help reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere by about 60%.
• Bio-fuels, especially, bio-diesel have been proven to save drivers a fair amount of money.
Disadvantages of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels are not bereft of concerns and criticism. Though beneficial to the environment, bio-fuels have disadvantages, paradoxically in the environmental purview. There are severals reasons Bio-fuels have been criticized, a couple of which are stated below:
• Economists have long debated on the usefulness of first generation bio-fuels when compared to the lack of food they cause. But this is a criticism that would abate as more proficient methods are developed and first generation biofuels are left in favor of newer technologies. In the meantime the debate continues about production of fuel from food crops that makes food crops unworthy of human consumption, and harms poor society by depriving them of much needed food supplies.
• Making bio-fuels require acres of farming land, thus encroaching upon the natural habitat of plants and animals.
Today usage of bio-fuels is increasing even in people’s homes. Designers have taken a liking to bio ethanol fireplaces and have created some of the most amazing fireplaces. You can see some of the many designs that could never have been accomplished with traditional fireplaces, but are possible with ethanol at internethomealliance.com
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