Future Of Biofuels

The Positives Associated With Biomass Power

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Biomass power (BP) is one of the oldest sources of green power available, but it is as useful today as it was in the past. In fact, as government regulations tighten and as people become more concerned with doing their part to save the environment, BPr may be more relevant now than at any time in its long history. You owe it to yourself, your business and the earth to learn about BP and what it can do for you.

Using Biomass Power

Biomass power turns organic waste materials into a source of renewable green energy. Some companies already produce enough organic waste materials all on their own to provide them with all the power they need. For instance, paper companies produce organic waste that can be harnessed and turned into BP. By taking this waste and turning it into energy, these companies keep it out of landfills and also enjoy maximum savings as what was once trash now frees them from expensive energy bills.

Other companies-those who already have a coal-fired power plant in place-have a lot of the technology needed to get started with BP and can simply convert their existing infrastructure to operate with biomass at a relatively low cost. These companies can begin reaping the benefits of BP quickly.

Even if you do not produce enough organic waste on your own, or don’t have a coal-fired power plant in place, BP may still work for you and may help you to save significant money over the long term. An expert in BP can help you understand what your different options are for installing a system to create alternative energy and break free from the dependence on foreign oil.

Benefits of Biomass Power

The benefits of BP are many, with those who already have their organic waste or coal-fired systems in place reaping the biggest benefits since their initial costs will be lower. Further, in some cases, those who produce their own waste or who generate enough biomass energy can actually sell that energy, providing yet another significant reason to take advantage of biomass.

Everyone who installs BP benefits from access to a significantly less expensive alternative source of energy.

Biomass power also has some benefits when compared to other forms of alternative energy. For instance, biomass is extremely reliable and does not depend on access to sun or wind. There will be no loss in efficiency as compared to other forms of power either-you’ll have the energy you need, when you need it, without any worry.

Using BP can also help you to be prepared for the future. When government regulations tighten more, or gas, electricity and fuel become more expensive, you won’t have to worry about making changes under the gun or about becoming cash-strapped as you struggle to pay for the costs of power or energy. Instead, you will be able to rest easy knowing you have a low-cost, green and energy-efficient way to power your plant or business.

Find more information about Biomass Energy and Biomass Power visit at: EvergreenEngineering.com.

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Coal Gasification and the Gasification of Biomass

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Coal gasification has the potential to answer most of the problems of coal power stations and to see us through until improved renewable energy technologies can be developed to replace the use of coal as a main base-load power generation fuel in many of the world’s nations.

It offers the most versatile and cleanest way to convert coal into electricity, hydrogen, and other energy forms. Furthermore, the first coal gasification electric power plants are now operating commercially in the United States and in other countries.

New gasification power stations are, for example, planned for the United Kingdom and many experts predict that coal gasification will be the core technology of the future generations of clean coal technology plants for several decades to come.

US experts have recently confirmed that far from the idea of carbon capture and storage being unproven, there are many examples in nature of carbon storage, and that carbon from the atmosphere is already effectively stored in huge quantities underground across the globe, completely naturally.

Carbon capture and storage (known as CSS) will therefore work for man as it already has done in nature, and the gasification process is the one to use when power stations also need to capture carbon. The reason for this assertion is it lends itself to the reactions needed to remove the carbon dioxide from the combustion gases before they are emitted via the chimney or flue.

Now lets take a step back to consider how gasification has been used in the past. Coal based “gas works” in huge numbers around the world produced manufactured âtownâ gas from the early nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. In fact it preceded the natural gas which has since the 1960s replaced town gas in our gas grid distribution systems. Coal gasification was used in the 1700’s in England, France and Germany for street lanterns. During World War I small gasifiers were even developed to operate vehicles, boats, trains and electric generators.

So, the commercial utilization of manufactured coal gas pre-dated that of natural gas due to the comparative ease of producing coal gas.

Coal gasification still has economic potential with high oil prices in mind, however, there are some drawbacks. There are a number of technical challenges to the power engineers in making the process work reliably, and in particular slagging must be dealt with to prevent the bed of coal from fusing.

These problems are now being overcome the US and international conglomerate GE has been saying for some years that it has the technology tamed, and in Europe the public funding of some flagship IGCC plants has enabled the technology to advance to maturity. The result is that most believe that coal will most likely be the principal source of syngas in the short-term future.

However, before, you say, what about the possible polluting and greenhouse gas producing effects of this? Let me stress that the sulfur, metals and other impurities in coal which have been causing pollution, and the solid residues from the gasification process which were often toxic, are now removed from the gases before they are discharged. Former gasworks sites are often contaminated with hazardous wastes, but this will certainly not be the case for the new plants.

Coal gasification involves the combustion of some of the carbon in the coal to produce the heat that makes the process work. By-products of this carbon combustion which will now be collected greenly are carbon dioxide, ash, and sulfur, all of which in their uncontaminated modern forms will have a market value and may be separated for sale. Meanwhile the provision of CSS (which I would rather not call âcarbon sequestration” although many call it that) will avoid these coal burning systems contributing to global warming.

Once the technology of gasification becomes mature it will then be possible to take the whole thing one stage further to use gasification to produce energy from renewable carbon fuels which are continuously regrown, known a biomass

Biomass gasification extends the idea very well demonstrated in gasifying wood stoves. Indeed, there are a number of products now on the market using a huge range of available fuels, not just wood. In its current state the use of biomass, is open-source and grassroots, but it is fat becoming a mainstream power generating source.

Look out for biomass energy plants over the next few years. These are the renewable energy future for society, rather than coal which will eventually be used up in any event, even if there were no problems of climate change.

Steve has built a great web site where there is a lot more information about gasification. This is a hot subject indeed for this technology which has become an essential read for all those in alternative energy and interested in taking action to reduce the impact of climate change.

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What is Biomass and Is it a Practical Source of Energy?

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Biomass is any organic material that is made by plants and animals. This includes all parts of plants, animal flesh and excretions such as manure. Biomass in rich in energy that can be used for fuel which is called biofuel.

Fossil fuels are also a biomass since it’s believed that they come from ancient plants and animals. But usually when people speak of biomass they are talking about material produced from sources that are alive now or were recently.

Biofuel is often talked about as though it was a new technology that we can use in the future to help solve our energy supply problems. But humans have been using biofuel since the beginning of humanity. The food we eat is a form of biofuel that we wouldn’t exist without. Humans have also used plant materials such as wood wax and whale oil as a fuel to burn for heat and light for thousands of years.

Newer technologies have allowed us to use biomass for making other biofuels. Biomass can be burned to power electric generators or made into methane, alcohol or bio diesel for powering our cars. These processes are energy intensive meaning a lot of energy is lost in converting biomass into the other forms of fuel or energy. Because of this these biofuels have not been cost effective or practical.

With all the technology going into biofuel research the one form of biofuel that we have been using since ancient times still remains the most efficient and practical. Burning biomass such as wood for direct heating is still the most efficient.

Instead of focusing on trying to use biomass to fuel our cars and generate electricity we may be better off using it to heat our homes and buildings. Firewood may not be practical for most people but pellets made from wood and other biomass may be. Burning pellets is cost effective, clean and may be the most efficient way to utilize the energy in biomass.

For those who want to use biomass as a renewable energy source heating with wood or other biomass pellets are practical and economical and the technology and distribution systems are already available.

Learn more about how biomass works.

Learn more about wood pellets.

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Biodiesel – A Greener Fuel

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Biodiesel is a biofuel which is produced from organic oils or fats, and can be used in diesel engines. The technical name for standard biodiesel is alkyl methyl ester. Generally, this is made from reacting vegetable oil and methanol using a catalyst, resulting in a molecule that contains hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. The presence of oxygen in the molecule helps to make it a cleaner burning fuel. Although some diesel engines can run on straight vegetable oil (SVO), this is not genuine biodiesel and does not share all of its advantages.

As biodiesel comes from organic carbon sources, it is carbon neutral. This means that burning it does not add carbon to the earth’s biosphere (the biosphere includes the atmosphere and all living things). When plants photosynthesize, they use up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turn it into organic molecules such as oils. When you burn these oils, you simply return the carbon to the atmosphere. This is unlike the burning of fossil fuels, where fossil carbon is released and increases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. However, be aware that some fossil carbon is burned in the production of biodiesel, so it is not a totally carbon neutral fuel.

Compared to fossil diesel, biodiesel–

has similar viscosity (it’s runny like diesel, not gooey like vegetable oil)
has superior lubricating properties
has little effect on engine power
produces lower CO2 emissions
produces lower particulate (soot) emissions
is much more biodegradable
is much less toxic (10 times less toxic than common salt)
is much less flammable, and therefore safer to handle and transport

There is some debate as to the effect of using biodiesel on NOx emissions. NOx is a term for oxides of nitrogen, which help to form smog. Using biodiesel usually results in a slight increase in NOx production. This may be reduced by the use of catalytic converters on modern diesel engines.

There are some minor difficulties to overcome when using biodiesel in an older car or truck. Biodiesel is slightly corrosive to rubber seals and hoses which are often found on old diesel engines. Replacing these rubber components with modern, corrosion resistant parts is usually very cheap. The chemical properties of biodiesel will also dislodge dirt. This can clog the fuel filter, which has to be examined regularly for the first 500 miles and replaced if need be.

It is possible to mix biodiesel with fossil diesel and run it in an unmodified engine. The mixtures are named by their biodiesel content. B5 contains 5% biodiesel and 95% fossil diesel, and can be used in the majority of modern cars and trucks with no ill effect. The 5% biodiesel content gives a measurable reduction in CO2 and soot production. B20, which is 20% biodiesel and 80% fossil diesel, is another common mixture. B100 is 100% biodiesel, and although most modern diesel engines will run on it with minimal modifications, it may void the warranty. Some manufacturers allow owners to use commercial biodiesel without losing their warranty protection.

Biodiesel can be made from used vegetable oil. This is an excellent idea, because the oil has already served its purpose and would be thrown away, so using it as a clean fuel is a bonus. Some people make their own DIY biodiesel. It is a simple process that could be done by anybody who took chemistry at high school. They usually use vegetable oil given to them by local hotels and restaurants. Safety procedures should be followed, because toxic chemicals such as methanol and caustic soda are used. The legality of this varies between countries. Tax may have to be paid on the DIY biodiesel before it is used.

Making biodiesel from specially grown crops is more controversial, especially from crops such as palm oil, which are grown in huge plantations in the third world. The growth of these crops may cause significant environmental damage. Crops such as oilseed grown in the western world are a better choice, but it would be impossible to grow enough to completely replace fossil diesel with biodiesel. Recent experiments have shown that algae are a promising source of organic oils, so biodiesel may yet become a major carbon neutral fuel source of the future.

L.J. Martin is a writer who holds a BSc(Hons) degree in Environmental Science. You can read more of his environment guides at the Eejits Guides website.

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Tips On Where to Buy Biodiesel Fuel

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While researching biodiesel there are limited places to actually purchase the product. In most instances the product is pushed to be self made for self use. There are resources in which an individual interested in the product can find out where to buy biodiesel.

Change is not easy for anyone, some changes are unnecessary and are not needed. Changing is human nature but the probability of negative change to positive change is completely reversed. The only way to get the positive changes we need as a population is to bring the positive aspects into the light of the skeptical public eye.

There are number of supplies needed to produce home made biodiesel, and once the technique is shown to farmers and trucking companies the doubts of operational benefits will diminish greatly. Most companies and farmers cannot find the time to analyze the potential of the benefits on the economy, the human race, and the businesses which decide in favor of the use of biodiesel.

The human race was created to self destruct, until a sufficient amount of people decide self destruction is not an option.

When the future of mankind becomes too dark for anyone person to clear the fog, look into a child’s eyes and make certain they will not have to worry about having a future.

What a politician does not understand is the drug war should not be a priority which will limit the war of survival. Once a law is passed limiting the resources used to make an alternative fuel, most people will rack their brains to come up with something else to fuel a vehicle. This world is full of choices, and if there is a person making drugs as a choice to making alternative fuel then lock them up and make them do that drug until they die.

Once this carbon print is reduced, there will dramatic changes in the north which is causing the water levels in our great oceans to increase at this time. When these sources of alternative fuels are moved into a way of fueling prospective diesel powered motors, then the amount of personal depressions will diminish as well.

Upon comprehension of the directions held within the original recipe, and following this procedure to the exact detail, the batches of biodiesel are completely unlimited, as long as proper storage temperatures are maintained. Temperatures are a huge factor in the successful production, use and purchasing. So, to sum it all up, where to buy biodiesel depends on who is making it and what the weather is like in a specific regions.

Get free and useful resources about biodiesel fuels including where to Buy Biodiesel Fuel when you visit: http://www.energysolutionshub.com/