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The Alternative fuels so called because they were designed primarily as alternatives to use of fossil fuels in the means of transport.
A fuel It is a material that has the ability to release energy in the form of heat, by going through a violent process of oxidation.
The fuels release energy because, by breaking the chemical bonds of its molecules, the energy that held those bonds is free. This energy is called binding energy and is a potential energyIn other words, it affects any object outside the molecule itself. The moment this energy is released, in the case of fuels it is converted into heat.
This thermal energy (heat) can be used in various ways:
- Directly as heat (thermal energy): This is what happens for example when we use firewood (fuel) to light a bonfire.
- Turning it into motion (mechanical energy): Motors are devices that make it possible to use the energy released by fuels to move various objects. For example when we use gasoline (fuel) that through the engine can move a car. However, not all energy is used and the combustion always produces thermal energy (heat).
Why are they necessary?
Traditional fuels, such as those derived from coal and those derived from oil (gasoline, diesel, etc.) release gas during combustion carbon dioxide, what is toxic in large concentrations.
In addition, even when it is not in significant concentrations, it produces acid rain, damaging plants and affecting the quality of the soil. On the other hand, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere forms a layer that allows the sun's heat to enter but prevents its exit, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
The target of alternative fuels is to provide a source of clean and sustainable energy, that is, it does not come from resources Non-renewable, like oil.
Alternative fuels are relatively new and currently the technologies required for their production and use are still in preliminary stages of development. Therefore, although many alternative fuels are currently being used, many of them still require more energy for their production than that obtained from combustion. However, its possible uses are still being investigated since it is considered that with the appropriate technology its performance will improve.
- It can serve you: Examples of Fuels in Everyday Life
Examples of alternative fuels
| BTL | Biodiesel |
| Hydrogen | Bioethanol |
| Electric fuel | CTL |
- BTL: Biomass to liquid. The acronym BTL comes from the English "Biomass to Liquids". The biomass it is living matter, that is, organisms. BTL is a type of synthetic fuel similar to fossil fuels (gasoline, kerosene, or diesel) that is produced from plants.
- Hydrogen: It is the simplest and smallest molecule: two atoms hydrogen. It combines with oxygen and other substances to be used as fuel. The advantage of using this substance as fuel is that it does not emit polluting gases. The downside is that it is not naturally free. Therefore, more energy is used to produce it than can be recovered in combustion. It can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity or heat. It can also be burned in combustion engines.
- Electric fuel: Cars capable of using electricity as fuel are currently being manufactured. The advantage is that electricity does not emit toxic gases. The downside is that vehicles with sufficient autonomy have not yet been created. That a vehicle is autonomous means that it can travel a great number of kilometers without loading fuel. This is not the case with electric cars. In addition, few cities have a system available for charging these vehicles, while gasoline is available throughout the world.
- Bioethanol: It is ethanol (alcohol product of fermentation) that can be obtained from crops such as corn or soybeans. It is a favorite alternative fuel project because its raw material it is easily renewable. However, there is also a critical stance that blames the use of crops in the production of fuels for the increase in food prices. Also, it has not yet been confirmed that it does not produce any toxic gas. However, it is highly probable that if it emits toxic gases they will be to a much lesser extent than fossil fuels. In the same way that it happens with hydrogen, another of the disadvantages of bioethanol is that the energy that is currently used in its production is greater than that obtained from fuel.
- Biodiesel: Liquid fuel that is produced specifically from lipids, that is, vegetable oils and animal fats. Unlike bioethanol, it is not produced by fermentation but by esterification and transesterification. The raw materials are usually rapeseed oil, oil palm and camelina. Animal fat has the disadvantage of producing a biodiesel that solidifies at higher than desirable temperatures.
- CTL: Charcoal to liquid. Coal can turn into a liquid formed by hydrocarbons thanks to a chemical process called the Pott-Broche process. A high temperature, high pressure solvent is used on charcoal. Hydrogen is then added and the product continues to be refined.
