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Biofuels

Biofuels. Adam Knox and John Chang. History of biofuels. E. Duffy and J. Patrick in 1853 were the first scientists to conduct transesterification of vegetable oil. T he first scientist to make use of biofuels was Rudolph Diesel.

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Biofuels

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  1. Biofuels Adam Knox and John Chang

  2. History of biofuels • E. Duffy and J. Patrick in 1853 were the first scientists to conduct transesterification of vegetable oil. • The first scientist to make use of biofuels was Rudolph Diesel. • Biofuels were the first fuels used with the arrival of mankind. • Chopped wood • Fires • Cooking

  3. Use of biofuels • Biomass-fuels are an alternative resource that can be replenished by replanting crops and vegetation. • Firewood • Charcoal • Cattle dung and methane • Some crop wastes • Sugar cane waste

  4. Biofuels throughout history • First used by our Pleistocene ancestors. • Used firewood to cook and light up caves • Primary fuel source until the late 1800s • Replaced by fossil fuels

  5. Biofuel Cost and efficiency • Costs vary due to multiple refining methods • Biofuel production for a gallon requires 38,300 BTUs of natural gas • Each gallon costs 16-18 cents • Not very efficient • A lot of gasoline is needed to produce biofuels • Energy yielded is poor • Supplies very limited • Biodiesels are fuels made from oils • More efficient • but crop prices would raise and there isn’t a large enough supply of oil

  6. Biofuel locations • Biofuels are ubiquitous! • We can find potential energy sources anywhere out in the wilderness • Restaurants have leftover cooking oil • All of this oil could be turned into biofuel • Farmland • Crops can go through processes to become biofuel • Livestock wastes can be converted to methane

  7. “Pros” of biofuels • Unlike other alternative resources, switching to biofuels won’t require radical change. • From an economic standpoint, biofuels are less expensive than the fossil fuels we currently use. • “Greener” cars run on ethanol, government gives tax incentives • Biofuels emit less air pollution, so switching to biofuels will ameliorate with the excessive air pollution issue at hand. • Ethanol is very easy to produce • Renewable

  8. “Cons” of biofuels • Burning corn releases nitric oxide into the atmosphere • There isn’t enough biofuel to be the primary source of renewable energy • High production energy requirement • Deforestation • Limited amount of crops and vegetation sparks competition between biofuel and food

  9. Future of biofuels • Biofuels are very versatile and should be used in the future • Biofuels are abundant and can be used to wean the US off of foreign oil • Biofuels will certainly be used because it is generally environmentally friendly, it is a renewable resource, and it is part of recycling, which is considering environmentally friendly. • Unfortunately, biofuels can’t be a primary source of renewable energy • Not enough supply in the world • Too inefficient • New technology suggests algae may be a great source for biofuels • Releases less CO2 than wood

  10. Works cited • "Advantages of Biofuels." Want to know it | Answers to life's questions | Everything Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://wanttoknowit.com/advantages-of-biofuels/>. • "Biodiesel Performance, Costs, and Use." U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/analysispaper/biodiesel/>. • "U.N. raises possible negative impacts with biofuels - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://www.usatoday.com/weather/environment/2007-05-09-biofuel-negatives_N.htm>.

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