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Although the interest in biofuels has been huge in recent years, human beings have been using biofuels ever since man discovered that he could make fire from wood. Biofuels were used in the production of electricity and in fact it w only in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that fossil fuels came to prominence.
A German scientist, Niklolaus August Otto was the first person to try to convince people of the benefits of ethanol. Another German, Rudolf Diesel, invented the diesel engine and it was designed to run on peanut oil. Even the famous Model T Ford, the first mass production car was initially designed to run on biofuel derived from hemp.
Only a combination of timing and circumstances with the discovery of huge reserves of crude oil in parts of Pennsylvanis and Texas altered the focus of oil production. Due to the size of the reserves and the fact that crude oil produced fuel which was both cheaper and more efficient, the majority of vehicles wee designed to run on this type of fuel and biofuels became less popular.
During the Second World War interest was sparked again due to fuel shortages. Countries, including Britain experimented with combinations of fuels including biofuels derived from potatoes as they looked for alternatives. During this period technology for the production of biofuels were expanding, however after the war pressure to supply and alternative fuel eased as Gulf and Middle East countries began production of large volumes of cheap crude oil.
In the 1970s two fuel shortages were create by OPEC, an organisation representing oil producing countries when they reduced exports to non OPEC countries. This encouraged governments and academics to once again look at production of biofuels as an alternative to oil. With the rise in interest in the reduction of greenhouse gases and protection of the environment, plus escalation of oil prices has once again pushed biofuels to the fore.
The raw materials used in the modern production of biofuels are vegetable oils, but can be animal fats or recycled greases. Alcohol such as ethanol and methanol are added to the process and also a catalyst such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. All three elements are mixed in a stirred tank reactor. Various combinations and ratios can produce different results and sometimes a two stage process can be used. The whole process requires a reactor, pump, centrifuge and distillation equipment and a high degree of control over the chemical reactions.
There are three main forms of diesel fuels. Petroleum diesel id the fuel mainly found at the petrol pumps. It produces higher carbon emissions and is therefore one of the fuels which biofuel producers are trying to replace. Biodiesel is made from renewable plant resources. Sometimes this is mixed with petroleum. This is a viable alter native to diesel. Straight Vegetable oil is another option, but does tend to gel at lower temperatures. Biodiesel conversion kits are available which allow vehicles to run on biofuels rather than ordinary diesel.
As interest in biofuels continues to rise higher up the political agenda, there are many developments in engine manufacturing which are aimed at trying to aid a transition to biofuels as oil resources become more difficult to produce.
Many of the major oil producers are developing their own alternatives and you can find out more at websites such as Texaco. The vehicle and transport industries in general may well find that the answer to their fuel requirements for the future lies in the past.
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<a href="http://www.biodieselnow.co.uk" alt="BiodieselNow - All about UK Biodiesel">UK Biodiesel information at BiodieselNow.co.uk</a>
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