Biofuels are also a green energy source. It\’s been around for a very long time and lately, people are beginning to take notice.
Liquid biofuel which is the one used in cars is a natural and replenish-able domestic fuel that will only be utilised for diesel engines. This can be made from plant oils typically soy and corn. The great thing about it\’s that it doesn\’t contain any petroleum, is non-poisonous and bio-degradable.
By fueling up with biofuel, you decrease the contaminants in the air because it does not emit anything. Right now, it\’s the only fuel approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), passed each Heath-Effects Test of the Clean Air Act and meets the prerequisites of the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
One example of this is biodiesel which is made from alcohol like methanol and a chemical process that separates glycerine and methyl esters (biodiesel) from fats or vegetable oils. Except for methanol, some states have also experimented with corn and sugarcane to form their own version of biofuel.
Glycerine is a standard products and this is utilized in making toothpaste and soap. Since it is sort of new, the process of converting it is sort of expensive and now, this is still much costlier per gallon compared to petroleum.
But if you look at what you pay for it, the returns are large because you get to do your share to preserve a cleaner environment, an improvement in air quality and a reducing of cancer-causing agents.
A cheaper and primitive way to make bio-diesel is by collecting cooking oil and then processing it. This could not good your car\’s engine so be cautious if you choose to use it.
If you are skeptic about biodiesels, research has shown that its performance on the road is just as good as petroleum vis power to potency, hauling and climbing. You need to use this in its pure form or blend with petroleum fuel. The most common mix in the market is 20/80 and is known as \’B20\’. This suggests that 20% is biodiesel and the remainder is 80%. Another version is the E85 which is fuel composed from 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
The best part about using biodiesel is that you only have to make one or two changes in your engine to be able to use it. Except for making the automobile run, it can also help clean the engine. If you're troubled this will void the warranty of your vehicle should there be a problem, don\’t worry as it doesn\’t. In the USA, B20 is the most common one available but there are only a few gas stations that carry it.
When car\’s first rolled out at the start of the 20th century, Henry Ford planned to make these autos particularly the Model T\’s run using ethanol. Tests have even shown that these could also run using peanut oil.
This never materialized because enormous oil deposits were discovered and diesel was inexpensive. It was just when our demand for oil increased in the 1970\’s, 1980\’s, 1990\’s and in the early part of the current year that folk started to understand that to reduce our requirement for foreign oil that we should try utilising biodiesels and other types of alternative energy.
Is it too late? Not yet as there is still plenty of time to use biofuels and others as green energy sources.
Sarah Green is an environmental campaigner, activist, and strong disciple of being energy self-sufficient such as how to generate your own electricity. In her free time, she reports on DIY alternative energy plans and kits, for example the Nikola Tesla Secret.