Future Fuels: Alternatives to Crude Oil

Energy independence is not too far from anyones mind as cheap crude oil becomes harder find and prices for its sub products explode. Citizens quickly become outraged as energy prices rise and diminish their lifestyles, screaming at government to ease their woes.

Instead of reaching to the end of the earth, dealing with cartels and dictators, lets get going with crude oil alternatives and look for the fuels of the future.

The following provides an overview of some of the possible direct and indirect substitutes for crude oil in its use for transport fuel.

Coal to Oil
South Africa has been producing fuel via coal to liquids (CTL) technology for some time. Currently around 30% of the country's gasoline and diesel needs are produced from their local coal supplies.

Natural Gas
There are many vehicles sold around the world that are built for domestic natural gas (CNG) such as the Honda Civic GX NGV. Home refueling stations are readily available along with natural gas conversion kits for traditionally fueled vehicles.



Vehicle conversion kits are widely available for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which countries such as Australia, with large gas reserves, have a large adoption rate.

Natural gas can also be used for synthetic oil production via “Gas To Liquids” (GTL) technology.

Biogas
Biogas is generated when bacteria degrade biological material in the absence of oxygen, in a process known as anaerobic digestion. What’s that mean you ask? Waste products such as manure, municipal waste, biomass and more can be used to produce biogas which is not dissimilar to natural gas.

China is one country with big plans for biogas by turning the problematic waste from a large population into a recycled energy product.

Ethanol
Ethanol is essentially a grain alcohol that is produced from renewable sources. As a transport fuel it is possibly most well known for its production from corn in the US and sugar cane in Brazil. Although it can also be produced from a variety of feedstocks such as bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum, grain sorghum, switchgrass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, fruit, molasses, stover, grain, wheat, straw, cotton and more.

Cellulosic Ethanol
Essentially, is a process of harvesting ethanol from plant waste material through the destruction of lignocellulose. Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and is the most common organic compound on earth. Making ethanol from cellulose dramatically expands the types and amount of available material for ethanol production. This includes many materials now regarded as wastes requiring disposal, as well as corn stalks, rice straw and wood chips or "energy crops" of fast-growing trees and grasses.

Algae based fuels
Algae is probably best known as that green scum that forms on a poorly maintained fish tank, or a poor flowing pond! But it could also be a future fuel source. Algae is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and by cultivating its lipid oil content it can be used to make biofuels and even hydrogen.

Many governments around the world are funding research into the production of fuels from Algae including methods of open pond culture and photobioreactors. The process of producing algae also involves sequestering carbon helping to reduce greenhouse emissions.

BioDiesel
Biodiesel can be manufactured from a range of resources – effectively any oil bearing crop (nuts, seeds), animal render, and waste oils, including cooking, manufacture and industrial. It’s possibly most well known for its production from the Jatropha plant in India, Palm Oil in Malaysia, Rapeseed oil in Europe and Soya oil in the US.

The modern turbo diesel can reach around the 50mpg mark on the highway leaving petrol powered vehicles well behind, such is the reason for its broad popularity throughout Europe. One can only imagine the benefits of a hybrid diesel/electric running on locally produced biodiesel!

The Electric Car
With the Hybrid car becoming more and more popular with strong sales of vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, and the interest in vehicles such as the Chevy Volt, it can only be a matter of time before a full electric car is accepted into the mainstream.

Its been tried once with the GM's EV1 and by other makers, but many think that with the improved technology that the public is ready for the full electric vehicle.

Companies such as Nissan have alluded to having full electric vehicles on the mass market by 2010-12.

Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element on earth. Although, extracting that element, storing and transporting it in a cost effective way continues to be the challenge.



Most major manufacturers have hydrogen vehicle projects well underway and vehicles such as the Chevy Equinox and the Honda FCX Clarity are being used in live conditions and commercially there are many public transport bus networks using hydrogen as a fuel source.

The Horse and Cart
Well, when all else fails, saddle up!

Originally submitted by: Jack Sampson