A Crash Course in Alternative Fuels

Many fuel alternatives have come to light that have been proven to be more sustainable, kinder to the environment and easy to produce anywhere. Here is a breakdown of some fuels that pump brings to life in their documentary:

ELECTRIC

What's Good

A study by the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology in 2010 studied the environmental impact of battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) and Internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) in both the production and use of the vehicles. The BEVs studied was specifically the lithium ion battery. The study found that overall, the impact of Li-ion battery in BEVs transport was relatively small in comparison to the use of ICEVs. However, the environmental impact is contingent on one condition: the electricity for the bev must be produced by a renewable hydropower plant.

The Not-So-Awesome

The actual production and disposal of these Li-ion batteries has just as much environmental impact as the production of ICEVs. In 2012, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University Bath in the U.K. found that as batteries become in higher demand, we will find ourselves in a similar situation we're in with oil. Battery production has a high environmental impact due to the material used to construct the battery. In addition, the researchers point out that lithium is also a scarce natural resource.

The Person to Know in the BEVs Industry

Elon Musk, CEO/CTO of Spacex, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors and, chairman of Solarcity, developed a BEV called Tesla. Tesla was inspired by Nikola Tesla, an inventor from the 1800's who first designed the ac induction motor, the motor used in Tesla Motors electric cars. Tesla Motors has begun developing BEVs in hopes to propel the movement and transition to sustainable transport.

ETHANOL

Ethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting sugars and can be made by a wide variety of natural sources. One of the largest benefits of producing ethanol is its ability to be made from a variety of crops and its ability to be made in any climate. In fact, ethanol is already largely produced in the U.S. and is mixed in with some of our gas already. Ethanol was actually mixed with petroleum in order to lower the environmental impact that gas creates. Ethanol has shown to have very little impact on the environment, regardless of its production and implementation.

Say it Ain't So

While some argue that growing food-like substances for fuel displaces food growing capabilities, others say it isn't so. This argument specifically has targeted using corn to create ethanol. However, a well kept secret is that most of the corn grown in the United States is for cattle and cattle don't eat the corn off the cob, so to speak. In fact the corn is actually turned into distillers grain and in order to make the distillers grain, it has to go through a fermentation process. Coincidentally, the fermentation process ends up yielding both ethanol and food.

What's the Catch?

Studies have revealed that ethanol isn't as effective as petroleum, our current fuel. The trick is, we need something that has as much energy that petroleum has. Nature released a study in 2011 that showed that ethanol only yielded 70% as much energy as petroleum. Thus, making the need to fill up the tank a more frequent occurrence. Also, ethanol has been found to be corrosive to the car and because of its corrosive nature, is hard to transport. Lastly, because ethanol lacks the power density of petroleum, it cannot be used for jet fuel or diesel. The search for something as powerful as petroleum continues…

The Country to Watch

Brazil is the most successful gas replacement country in the world and, the size of the country is almost the same as the U.S. After Brazil experienced the gas shortage in the 1970s, they began looking into producing their own fuel: ethanol. Brazil no longer imports oil and the move to biofuels not only saved their economy, but boosted it; moving low-income families into the middle class and putting food in the mouths of those who previously had none. All thanks to their former president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the first working-class president in the history of Brazil. 

METHANOL

In the 1980s to 1990s, California began to experiment with using Methanol and actually created a multitude of fuels for it (M-15, M-85, M-100). In comparison to gasoline, methanol burns clean while gasoline leaves residue and emits pollutants into the air. However, once the gas crisis had settled and opec dropped the prices of the barrel, this alternative fuel was quickly forgotten.

Two Birds, One Fuel.

Methanol can be converted to a variety of products: synthetic gasoline, dimethyl ether (DME) (which can be used to diesel fuel and burns clean) and variety of chemical products. Due to the abundance of CO2 and the multitude of processes that create CO2, generating methanol as an alternative fuel is renewable. Actually, the chemical carbon recycling actually supplements nature's photosynthetic cycle. It appears that methanol may actually clean the environment while simultaneously lowering greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change.

Its Just too Easy

Carbon recycling to renewable methanol has the ability to use a multitude of alternative energy sources to generate the heat needed for the processes. In fact, non-fossil-based energies such as solar, hydro, geothermal, and wind are becoming increasingly more available. Also, methanol can be considered a stable substance and therefore can be kept in liquid form. It's ability to be stored so easily means that it can be transported and distributed using the already existing infrastructure, saving the U.S. a ton of money.  

Bye Bye Trash Heaps

Methanols ability to be produced by a variety of sources gives us the option to generate it in the most efficient manner. Biomass waste and cellulosic materials can be used to create methanol fuel. Say bye-bye to our trash heaps that grow by the tons daily, we can use our trash as fuel, taking recycling to a whole new level. 

Image from PUMP

Sounds too Good to be True

Methanol is sounding pretty good as an alternative fuel source however, the process heavily relies on purified water. With dwindling clean water sources, this may pose a problem to generating the fuel. Some are evaluating the climate of Mars to generate methanol as it has abundance of water and carbon dioxide molecules. Also, methanol burns more quickly than gasoline so requires more stops at the gas station. However, because of its inexpensive nature, many researchers say that it will still be cheaper than the overall cost of gas.

Taking the Lead on Alternative Energy

Though the U.S. has forgotten about this ideal fuel, other countries haven't. Iceland has created the first commercial CO2-to-renewable-methanol plant based on geothermal sources called Carbon Recycling International.

BIOMASS

Biomass is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms. Sources of biomass include:

• Virgin wood, from forestry, arboricultural activities or from wood processing 
• Energy crops: high yield crops grown specifically for energy applications 
• Agricultural residues: residues from agriculture harvesting or processing 
• Food waste, from food and drink manufacture, preparation and processing, and post-consumer waste 
• Industrial waste and co-products from manufacturing and industrial processes.

Biomass v. Fossil fuel

So what's the difference? Well other than their chemical composition, biomass as a fuel actually takes carbon out of the atmosphere and returns it as it burns. This is called a closed carbon cycle and doesn't not increase greenhouse gas levels. Fossil fuel on the other hand, creates carbon dioxide and emits carbon dioxide during the processing and utilization of it as a fuel.

Information from Biomass Energy Centre

NATURAL GAS:

Natural gas is collected through a process called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". It is the process of drilling down, deep into the earth (up to 8,000 feet), directed at a layer of shale rock where gas is locked inside. A high pressure water mixture (water, sand and chemicals) is injected into the rock allowing the gas to flow out to the head of the well.

Why People are so Excited

The total U.S. natural gas resources are enough to meet the growing demands for fuel, scientists predict that natural gas supplies will last well over 100 years. Also, virtually any car on the road can be converted to using cng (as long as they have enough trunk space). Also, due to the abundance of natural gas, production is able to be mobile. CNG production can be moved from natural gas spot to natural gas spot. When it comes to transportation, CNG can be turned into liquid (LNG) and its primary route of transportation? Pipelines. Research by Bradley Anderson and Veysel Uz, in 2015, from the Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation found that CNG was a feasible replacement for fuel for U.S. transportation. Though the transition won't be seamless and will require some more studies, CNG ultimately will lower CO2 emissions and also give the U.S. freedom from foreign oil. A lot of people believe that natural gas is the future and the quickest way for the US to break its addiction. Later gas, we're on to our next nonrenewable addiction.

#NOFRACKINGWAY

In June of 2013 the Environments & Health Journal published an article that called to light the very real and serious dangers of this new energy practice. They generated a list of common symptoms and complications among by who live near by a fracking site:

• fatigue
• burning eyes
• dermatological irritation
• headaches
• upper respiratory, gastrointestinal (severe abdominal pain), musculoskeletal (backache), neurologic (confusion, delirium), immunologic, sensory, vascular, bone marrow (nose bleeds), endocrine, and urologic problems.
• risk of endocrine disruption
• changes in quality of life and sense of well being.

But Wait! There's More…

Health risks aren't the only thing associated with fracking, our environment and economy will be impacted as well. The list goes on: air and water contamination; elevation in noise pollution; occupational hazards and, increasing demands on our social and healthcare infrastructure. Because fracking is so new, the impact of long-term exposure and impact on the environment has yet to be determined.

A Not-So-Great Solution

Environmental and health aspects aside, is CNG worth all the risks? Though the U.S is producing enough natural gas to meet the current and future demands of fuel, it has approximately 25% the energy density that of gasoline. Also, because natural gas is gas and not in liquid form, it takes up more space. Vehicles powered by CNG will need a larger tank space. Cars running off of CNG also show to take longer to fill, be expensive to fill and is considered inconvenient for long trips due to storage capabilities. Creating a refueling infrastructure will cost big bucks.