Alternative Fuel Automotive Wisdom

Posts Tagged ‘Alternative Fuels’

In the United States today, more and more people are demanding alternative fuels instead of strictly gasoline powered vehicles, and for many reasons. One reason is that alternative fuels are better for the environment and help fight global warming, which is an ongoing and increasing concern of many in the U.S. as well as globally. The cost of gasoline and other petroleum based products are rising at rate that has, heretofore, been unprecedented. Automobile travel is becoming very expensive as a result, and the U.S. is a nation that relies on its transportation. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for less expensive, alternative fuels. Scientists are charged with a double task, creating fuels that are inexpensive and better for the environment. New alternative fuels currently becoming available offer a number of advantages and U.S. consumers are beginning to seriously consider the newly available options, over continued dependence on fossil fuels.

When consumers choose alternative fuels both for their automobiles and their homes, they are helping to save the environment and themselves some money. In 2005, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences issued a joint statement with 10 other National Academies of Science stating “the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions.” Alternative fuels are one step toward lessening greenhouse gas emissions.

What Does “Alternative Fuel” Mean?

Put simply, alternative fuel is not created through refining crude oil. Alternatives should replace conventional petroleum products as a means of powering vehicles or warming homes. The Clean Air Act of 1990 was written to encourage the development, sale, and use of alternative forms of energy. However, the Clean Air Act also stresses that the “alternative” fuels have beneficial effects for the environment, in short, whatever form the alternative takes; it can’t be as polluting as petroleum-based products.

“Alternative fuels” is a title that encompasses many different types of energy – Ethanol, is one that has been in the news quite a bit lately. It is made from corn, which can provide a tremendous boost to the agricultural industries, as well as to the environment and end-users. Some basic facts about ethanol includes: One acre of corn can produce enough ethanol to run a car for some 72,000 miles on E-10 Unleaded. About 46 percent of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol-and most of that is in the form of E-10 Unleaded. It can be made from other organic materials also, such as soybeans, waste, plant material left from logging, paper and trash. So, it can also be produced through recycling, another huge environmental advantage. In addition, automobile manufacturers are looking at ways of using ethanol only; however, since it is a grain alcohol, it is more highly combustible than regular gasoline. Currently, research is focusing on ways of buffering the ethanol to reduce its potentially dangerous properties.

Ethanol is also found in regular alcoholic beverages. The ethanol used for gasoline has been “denatured”; this means poison has been added so that it is unfit for human consumption. While some argue that ethanol production more energy than it produces, which is initially true when starting up a plant, Ethanol production results in a net energy gain-producing 67 percent more energy than it takes to grow and process the corn into ethanol in the long run. In addition, technologies are in development to increase the efficiency of plant production.

The movement toward alternative fuels will increase as people become more conscious of the economic and environmental costs of fossil fuels. In addition, many Americans feel that, for a variety of reasons, dependence upon foreign oil is not in the best interests of their nation. New, alternative fuels offer the best option for ending the U.S. dependence upon fossil fuels. While ethanol has been getting a lot of attention lately, there are many other types of fuel under development that offer a selection of future options for energy.

The use of alternative fuel is common nowadays because it is cheaper than gasoline or diesel. Also, alternative fuels contain substances which are environment friendly, as such, it can help save and conserve natural resources that are used in order to produce gasoline and provide efficient and clean fuel combustion.

One basic thing to know about alternative fuel is it may be readily used today. The most common machine that is powered by alternative fuel is a car or vehicle. There are many forms of fuel alternative available that may be used in one’s vehicle; it includes liquefied petroleum gas, ethanol, methanol, compressed natural gas, and electricity. The good thing about alternative fuel is that it cost less but without sacrificing the mileage. In addition, its components are made of substances that reduce the risk air pollution. A classic example is electricity. If your car is powered by electricity, there is no chance that air pollution may be emitted.

As stated a while ago, alternative fuel helps save the environment. It removes the risk of creating carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons and other particulate materials. The poisonous emissions stated usually come from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles and machineries. Alternative fuel minimizes these kinds of emissions, if not absolutely obliterate it.

Another thing to know about alternative fuel is that its materials can be found anywhere, including your own backyard. Some materials include old frying oil, used vegetable oil, recycled paper, plant wastes, animal manure, and other recyclable materials. However, don’t even think about putting vegetable oil in your vehicle. There is a process in converting these materials into alternative fuel.

Some fuel alternative uses a specific vehicle or engine in order to completely operate. This is commonly called as alternative fuel vehicle. Alternative fuel vehicles use a specific alternative fuel in order to work. Am example is an electricity powered car. When using this kind of vehicle, one must charge its battery in order to use it. It is like charging the battery of a digital camera or a cellular phone. The problem with alternative fuel vehicle is that they have a lower energy output. This means that gasoline or diesel vehicles provide farther mileage as compared to alternative fuel vehicles on a full tank basis. Another thing to take note is that alternative fuel vehicles cost more than the conventional gasoline or diesel automobile.

Fuel alternatives are not only used in vehicles, it may also be used in one’s industry or for the industrial operations. Some industrial machines use gasoline or diesel in order to function. Since diesel or gasoline is used, alternative fuel may be used as a replacement. Other industries are compelled by a law or a local ordinance to switch from gasoline to alternative fuels not only to minimize air population, but also to help the government to reduce the production of gasoline and diesel.

Globally, countries opt to operate every machine using alternative fuels. Air pollution is a big problem that a country needs to remedy. Through the use of alternative fuel, it will not only save our environment, but also, be an effective way to conserve our very limited resources.

Fuel cost are rising at record highs around the world. Scientist and entrepreneurs are searching for solutions that will ease the pain at the gas pump. Alternative fuels are the answer, with options for the masses.

1. Fuel cost

Fuel Cost are higher than ever, the world is now searching for alternative solutions to the high demand and high price of petroleum based fuel.

2. Making Biodiesel at Home

People have looked at making biodiesel at home as an extreme alternative to commercially available fuel. This is no longer the case, as fuel prices have skyrocketed making Biodiesel at home is now much easier with the available kits that can be purchased. Residential Biodiesel kits and entry-level commercial production systems are now widely available. Companies like www.70centsagallon.com offers a variety of options to meet the budget and needs of everyone. The use of these systems ranges from the Cummins diesel engine owner to commercial fleet and maintenance managers. They all are looking for a safe, easy and effective solution to relieve the cost of high diesel fuel.

3. Trucks

Any truck with a diesel engine can use Biodiesel safely and economically with Biodiesel that is made on-site by its owner operator. No matter if you have a Ford, Dodge, Chevy or foreign diesel truck, they all can benefit from the use of Biodiesel. Truck owners cannot tell the difference in performance and state their vehicles have more power and run better with less noise.

Commercial truck owners are now converts to the benefits of Biodiesel as seen at www.biotrucker.com.

Alternative fuels offer multiple solutions to serve the needs of the world. Necessity has forced new innovations around the world, to include using garbage, H20, used cooking oil and algae for new fuel sources. This generation will make a difference in the next few years with new technologies that will help mother earth be a greener planet for us all.

Victor Garlington has been a long proponent of bio-fuels and produces bio-fuel for his own vehicles. He is currently helping others discover alternative fuels as a solution to high fuel prices. He can be contacted at victor@70centsagallon.com

Globally, more and more people are expressing an interest in switching from gasoline powered vehicles to ones that operate using alternative fuels. Alternative fuels that are environmentally friendly, can actually help to conserve the natural resources that are used to produce gasoline, and protect the environment as well. Drilling and other invasive methods will no longer be necessary, protecting the habitats of many endangered creatures.

For those who are thinking of making the switch to an alternative fuel vehicle or AFV, it’s important to investigate all the alternatives available before settling on just one choice. While almost everyone agrees that AFV’s are better for the environment, costs and the limitations of owning them should be carefully considered. At this time, AFV choices are somewhat limited but the growing consumer demand will inevitably drive the costs lower and improve the choices available.

Four Facts About Alternative Fuels

1. Electricity, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, ethanol, and compressed natural gas, produce fewer vehicle emissions than traditional gasoline and diesel. Studies have shown that each of them contributes toward a cleaner environment.

2. Unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate materials; standard tailpipe emissions from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles, are responsible for about one-third of U.S. air pollutants. Vehicles powered by alternative fuels would reduce these emissions considerably. Also, many alternative fuels promote the U.S. economy because they can be produced domestically.

3. On a gallon-per-gallon basis, some alternative fuels will not permit consumers to travel as far or as long as they could in a gasoline or diesel propelled vehicle. So they have a lower energy output. At this time, an alternatively fuel vehicle also costs more than a conventional automobile.

4. Alternative fuels utilize a wide variety of materials, for example old grease that restaurants used for frying, vegetable oils, electricity, recycled paper and plant wastes are used to create fuel. These are all cleaner burning that petroleum products, and have less impact upon the environment.

The above are only a few of the facts concerning alternative fuels. Each individual type of “green fuel” has its own pluses and minuses but they all deserve investigation by those who are sincerely interested in cutting energy costs and protecting the environment. Every day, new advances are being made as research into this area grows. New sources of alternative fuels are under investigation and development. Perhaps, the answer is not just one type of alternative fuel being better than the rest, but that a group of “green” energy sources will be optimal.

The natural world is constantly changing, but many environmental changes today are being brought about by the pollution emissions of our automobiles. When we consider the global impacts of changing to alternative fuel vehicles, it becomes obvious that this is more than just an option. In the very near future, it must become an active part of our lifestyles. We owe it to the future of our planet to make changes now.

Alternative fuels, or at least the concept of them, have been around since the early days of the automobile. The gasoline internal combustion engine changed the face of the planet, but since day 1 people have looked for other fuels to power this engine with.

It wasn’t until the American gas shortages of the 1970’s that research into alternative fuels really began in earnest. Faced with shortages of gasoline, there was no choice but to develop some alternatives to the standard gasoline engine. What they discovered was ethanol.

Ethanol

Alcohol made from corn has been around since mankind first learned to cultivate it, but it wasn’t until the 70’s that scientists realized it could be used in gasoline powered vehicles. Ethanol (denatured with enough methanol that people couldn’t drink it) could power an internal combustion engine as effectively as petrochemicals, but without a lot of the harmful byproducts of petrochemical combustion. It was cheaper to make than gasoline, and would require large amounts of corn, which was good for the farmers at the time.

There were other fuels that were discovered to work as well, with modifications to the engine to accomodate the new fuels. Natural gas, propane, and hydrogen will all power an internal combustion engine just as well as gasoline or ethanol. But there were (and still are) problems with fuel storage and delivery, and the engine must be modified to use these fuels – they won’t work in a standard gasoline engine design.

Why Aren’t We Using Alternative Fuels Then?

There is probably no simple answer as to why we aren’t already using these alternative fuels now – 30 years after research first began. Some cite the political clout of the big oil companies, others cite the expense of changing the infrastructure to a new fuel type (which is made all the more difficult by the millions of gasoline vehicles already on the roads), still others say that the technologies simply are not ready yet. The true answer probably lies with a blending of all these reasons and many more – societal inertia comes to mind. People are simply comfortable with there gas guzzlers, and until a good portion of the population wants this change, it won’t happen. But fortunately, this is occurring today. With gas prices spiraling up out of control at the pump, more and more cities cloaked in a thickening layer of smog, and global envornmental awareness hitting it’s peak, popular demand for alternative fuels that are cheaper and greener is at an all-time high.

With so many countries cutting back on energy use, there are many governments looking for alternative sources of fuel, especially with the rapidly climbing gas prices. The US is working harder than ever to get other sources of power onto the market. Experts say that not only are gas (octane) fuels pollutant, but the supplies buried beneath the earth are dwindling quickly. Now, with the anxiousness of a fuel crunch looming over our heads, America is finally stepping up and trying to find some other way to fuel our mechanical marvels. Here are the top candidates for alternative fuel king.

Bio diesel is the result of the European effort to remove a considerable amount of the polluting attributes of diesel fuel. This has created a 60% reduction in hydrocarbons, a 40% reduction of carbon monoxide, and a 40% reduction in particulates. Bio carbon is produced from raw materials called feedstock. This material absorbs carbon monoxide in an amount equal to the amount the car using the fuel emits. With this new diesel fuel, diesel engines are working at 50% higher fuel efficiency than normal gas powered engines

Ethanol is, by far, the most popular of the alternative fuels. Ethanol has a very down home farm essence to it as it is made from starch producing plants like corn. Yes, corn is the fuel of the future, although some producers prefer sugar to corn in the ethanol making process. Today, most of the information you hear about ethanol is the E85 mixture, which is a mixture of 85% ethanol, and 15% gas. This alternative fuel can only be used in vehicles especially designed for them as well as vehicles that are 22 E85 compatible. Using ethanol can reduce smog production up to 50%, gas can’t say that much. Unfortunately, despite E85’s smog emission reduction it is still contributing to ozone depletion, although many experts disagree, and still others have no idea how it happens in the first place.

CNG, or Compressed Natural Gas, is another of the top candidates for the king of alternative fuels. In comparison to gas, CNG comes from domestic, not Middle Eastern Reserves, burns cleaner, and is cheaper. Unfortunately, vehicles that run on CNG require some changes which include: storing natural gas in pressurized tanks, burning the CNG with a modified combustion engine, and it is more economical than gas burning engines. Although, CNG cars emit fewer smog emissions than Hybrid cars, they release more greenhouse gases than Hybrid cars as well.

Besides these top 3 candidates for alternative fuel king, there are other less developed methods. There is liquid coal, which will be too costly to use. There is hydrogen fuel, which will also be costly, because hydrogen isn’t naturally found. Fuel cell technology, which sounds a lot like Star Trek, is light years away from being developed. As of now, the hybrid vehicle is probably your best bet as far as fuel efficiency, and fuel alternative. Unfortunately, it doesn’t cure us of our dependency on gas. The king of alternative fuel may soon be crowned, but that soon is far away.

Ever since the military allowed the design of the hummer to be made public, people have gone crazy over its design. General Motors acquired the brand name and marketing rights of the hummer and now that alternative fuels have begun to grow in popularity, they are also beginning to make an alternative fuel hummer.

Classically, the hummer has been a non-favorite vehicle for environmentalists because it gets horrific gas mileage and uses more gas than a regular vehicle. That is why it made sense for someone to come up the design for an alternative fuel hummer that would be easy on the environment as well as the drivers pocketbook.

There is a pioneer in the green movement to make a hummer that could run on alternative fuels. He is with a non-profit organization who promotes cleaner air by using cars that burn alternative fuels instead of gasoline. He decided that he was tired of his gas guzzling hummer and wanted to make it more environmentally friendly considering his association with him. So he set out to make an alternative fuel hummer. And he succeeded.

He now sells alternative fuel hummers that have shown to be very popular and selling at a really quick rate. He tricks out his vehicles and makes them visually appealing as well. He is highly thought of especially among the young crowd who want an environmentally safe vehicle that looks cool and can run on alternative fuel and that would be Toms hummers.

His alternative fuel hummers run on bio-diesel made from soybeans and corn. They use less petroleum than a hybrid car and are capable of running entirely on vegetable oil alone. That is right, you can run one of his alternative fuel hummers on Crisco! This alternative fuel hummer may be the biggest thing on the road, but it does not use one drop of petroleum and gets 23 miles per gallon.

Celebrities are big fans of these alternative fuel hummers including California governor Arnold Schwarzneggar who owns two hummers that run on bio-diesel. He recently had one of his hummers modified to run on hydrogen as well which emits absolutely no greenhouse gas which, of course, is great for the environment.

If you love the look of a hummer but want one that runs on alternative fuel, fear not. The product is out there to buy ready made or you can one converted into an eco-friendly vehicle. Keep in mind it will cost you some money, but when you consider what you are doing for our planet, owning and driving an alternative fuel hummer can be well worth the cost!

The truth is oil and automobile companies are creating alternative fuel expansions to help with the escalating prices of gas and oil, and global warming. The companies are at the point where they realize it is time to do something because consumers are fed up, the environment is in danger and there are cheaper methods.

Alternative fuels are not made from crude oil, which would end the United States dependency on foreign countries. Such alternatives fuels are made from corn, wheat, vegetable oil, pretty much anything that is organic. Companies have even used old car parts to create fuel. These types of alternative fuel expansions are amazing because it is taking natural products that can be grown anywhere, or garbage that needs to be disposed of and using it in a productive, cost efficient manner.

It isn’t all about the money either. The global warming problem has received international attention as of late and many countries, citizens and people are taking a stand to help the environment. The alternative fuels burn cleaner and produce less CO2, which is a major culprit in global warming. Less garbage, less CO2 and cleaner air. Alternative fuel expansions sound like a winning combination.

Major car companies are taking the biggest leaps when it comes to alternative fuels expansion. With the price of oil, car companies have taken the biggest hit. Consumers are looking for more fuel efficient vehicles or even those that don’t require the gasoline that is available at the pump these days. Car companies are creating cars that run on electricity, ethanol, E85 and biodiesels. With the new wave of technology these car companies are creating also come the growth of jobs. Some of the alternative expansions are still in its infancy stages, but many vehicles such as E85, ethanol and biodiesel are already on the road.

Australia and Sweden have been developing alternative fuel expansions. Those countries already have E85 vehicles on the road. E85 means the fuel is 85 percent ethanol. It also becoming popular in the Midwestern part of the United States where large crops of corn are grown.

Big oil companies are taking notice and are now putting different kinds of pumps at gas stations where there is a demand. As a child, when you used to think about how electric cars would run in the future, you probably never thought it would happen in your lifetime. Well, buckle up because the future is coming. Alternative fuel expansions are changing the way people think and changing lives.

The expansion of the alternative fuel business has exploded these days as people are looking more and more toward improving the environment and perhaps even saving some money in the process. As gas prices continue to skyrocket, gasoline companies know that they must start considering an expansion of their companies to compete in the alternative fuel race if they want to stay afloat.

Alternative fuels are simply those that are not made with any oil products. They are manufactured using products such as corn, vegetable oil, and even garbage! The expansion of the alternative fuel business has its advantages as alternative fuels burn cleaner and have less of an effect on the environment.

As people start to take notice of the issue of global warming, it sparks their interest in alternative fuels as a way to help the environment and keep our world from imploding. That is why oil companies and refineries are finding that they have to keep up with this public interest through an expansion of their alternative fuel divisions.

Another area of expansion in the alternative fuel market is with big car companies. They are starting to make more and more vehicles that are able to run on E85 fuel, ethanol, electricity, and propane. In fact, beginning in 1998, the Ford Motor Company committed 1 billion USD toward the expansion of their alternative fuel vehicle production lines.

In addition, the proliferation of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles is driving demand for new kinds of technician training. Considerable market expansion has occurred in CNG, propane, ethanol, and biodiesel, with more modest advances in battery-electric power. The expansion in this area of alternative fuel requires new training when it comes to making repairs to vehicles that run on alternative fuels.

Even gas stations are starting to find out that they also have to take part in the expansion of the market when it comes to alternative fuels. As more people start to purchase alternative fuel vehicles, they are also demanding easy accessibility to the fuels that run them. In order to meet the demand for alternative fuels, expansion of gas station facilities is nearly a requirement these days.

There is no doubt about it that the expansion of the alternative fuel market affects all kinds of people and businesses. The good news is that it is affecting them in a GOOD way! Expansion is always good for business, and when it comes to alternative fuels, it is good for the environment and the consumer as well. I say, let the expansion continue!

A lot of things have changed since I was a youngster. I remember the day when I worked on the corner gas station pumping gas, cleaning windows and checking oil, the last two of which you find very few stations doing anymore. The whole idea of “full-service” is pretty much a thing of the past, however this is a subject for a different article. During those days I had the part-time job at the gas station, the ozone layer was something that astronomers and astronauts worried about and not something that he had to worry about breaking down thereby burning a hole in this beloved planet we live on.

The cost of gas was $.16 a gallon – yes you heard me – $.16 a GALLON! We drove cars that got on a good day 18 miles per gallon and it didn’t break the bank or increase the interest rate on your credit card just to fill up the tank. We would ask mom and dad for a five spot to go cruising up and down the main drag, not the credit card charge of $30 or more that it takes now. It’s no wonder that the old folks (like myself) who are now the parents of children cruisin’ the drag came up with the idea of alternative fuels to try and save ourselves a few bucks at the pump as well as save the planet that we so dearly love and yet manage to almost destroyed the last 30 years or so.

One solution to this has been to make engines smaller, cars smaller and sometimes I even wonder if they’ve made people smaller – because I sure can’t fit in these boxes. I actually saw a car that couldn’t have been more than a lawnmower engine with wheels, which were no larger than the ones I used to make my go carts out of when I was (once again) a kid! The car itself was boxy and it did sound a lot like a lawnmower going down the street but hey – I am sure it got great gas mileage!

Another solution is to change the gasoline we run our cars on. What does this mean? Well, we remove the lead, an anti-knock agent which was needed in the old days because we didn’t have super computers tuning our cars for us as we drive. We eliminated High octane fuel which to tell the truth pretty much killed a lot of the old muscle cars (Ahh.. the sound of a big V8 in the morning!). and then, we added ethanol (grain alcohol) to the gas to try to thin it out and help it run cleaner. A step in the right direction but personally, I always like my grain alcohol with a twist and just a plash of gin!

The other solution we have come up with alternative fuels. So far these consist of been added it to the fuels we’ve reduced or eliminated lead in the fuel which was an anti-knock agent but it did so pollute our atmosphere in which since replaced it with grain alcohol (funny I used to look at that as a kid to drink not to run my car on). The grain alcohol is supposed to reduce emissions while at the same time converting some of the emissions to water vapor that goes into the doesn’t do any good but it doesn’t do as much harm. But this is not the solution.

They did have come out with hybrid cars now which run on electricity the last word a combination of gasoline and electricity switching back and forth between the two is the load on the engine dictates. You have to admit this is a pretty smart idea however and makes for a maintenance nightmare because of the weight of the batteries carried in the car cancel out any real advantage of having a hybrid car in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, it does some good just not enough to make a difference.

You also have the companies and entrepreneurs that are working on pure electric cars. Unfortunately these haven’t made a big impact on the road right now because it requires so many batteries at the car is incredibly heavy and the batteries and the batteries don’t have a long life in the car so they have to be replaced sooner than any engine overhaul would take place. This is a very expensive ordeal as well as you have to find a specialty shop to that would be able to do it for you. They do have one battery that does show some promise -it’s called the “sulfur battery”. The only problem with this battery is it needs a key element in it out in the field to keep sulfur in its liquid state about 300 plus degrees. Not a good thing to have rumbling around in your trunk! Let’s face it batteries just have not made it to a level or place where they can take to the road as well as a gasoline engine.

One of the more exciting things that I’ve seen is called the hydrogen fuel-cell. This unique little device takes water and converts it to electricity by using special layers of chemicals and minerals to separate the hydrogen in the action from each other and causing his chemical reaction that generates electricity between the plates and thereby supplying electricity to whatever needs to be run-in this case the motor in the car. This is probably one of the more exciting developments as come along however it doesn’t create a lot of electricity only creating a few milliamps or a few apps here and there were ads running car can take hundreds of amps, especially during hard acceleration. So until they develop this little bit further its out as well.

Honestly I believe that at this point in time since we don’t have anything else to run our cars are than gasoline, I believe the hybrid engine is the way to go. But electricity doesn’t really seem the way to go to me and additives to the fuel make it inefficient or simply don’t exist at this time. There has been one promising area that I believe should be pursued…

The idea of hydrogen being injected into an engine is a good idea-they actually came up with this some time ago running an engine completely on hydrogen. Do have to admit it was pretty much a rolling firetrap if it ever got into an accident the hydrogen itself is very explosive in very small quantities so great care has to be taken in its care and handling.

Now comes the idea I read about. What if one were able to use water as a fuel? It’s plentiful it’s everywhere and it’s a renewable resource. “How is a renewable” you ask? Well it’s car word to runoff water were some component thereof it’s only product coming out of the exhaust pipe would be any guess? Water! The water goes up in the air, and comes down as rain. It’s renewed! It’s a wonderful idea and a few people are working on exactly that idea. Personally, I’m hoping some big corporation picks up on the idea and runs with it. It would be the best possible thing for a planet and face it possible thing for us as a race!