Types of Alternative Fuels
Fossil Fuel Alternative
These types of alternative fuels are becoming more available to everyone. While some are not totally independent of fossil fuels, they do decrease dramatically our dependence on oil and they provide an alternative to fossil fuel. Fuel is defined as being an energy source for engines, reactors or power plants. However, most Americans immediately think of their cars when they discuss “fuel”. That’s because, with the average American owning at least one car, a significant portion of their paycheck goes toward the gasoline or diesel to run their vehicle(s). Most fuels being used today have some connection to petroleum products. And, because of tension with the Middle East, the rising cost of fuel, and the desire for green energy (with its low impact on the environment), more and more people are turning to alternative fuels.
Alternative fuels are being used in more and more cars.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
a.k.a. Propane
One of the downsides to many of the top alternative fuels is that they either utilize petroleum in the creation process or are partially made of petroleum. One of these alternative to fossil fuel products, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), comes from petroleum, but is still considered an alternative fuel. It is essentially a byproduct of normal petroleum refining, and it consists of hydrocarbon vapors, rather than liquids. The normal name for LPG is propane and it is available in most towns and cities. Propane can be used to run a vehicle, heat a home, or even run appliances such as water heaters and ovens. The biggest advantage of using propane is its availability and as long as petroleum is being refined, propane is plentiful.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Another of the types of alternative fuels that is considered to be a viable alternative source is also based on fossil fuels. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is currently being used for the same applications as propane. Just like propane, vehicles have been designed to run on CNG for many years. In fact, Honda, one of the major vehicle manufacturers, has a mainstream production car that runs on CNG. And any homeowner can have a CNG pump installed at his home location, for a relatively low amount of money. Like propane, the biggest advantage to using compressed natural gas is its availability. However compressed natural gas is somewhat cleaner than propane and when used in engines, it extends the life of the engines. Its counterpart, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a similar type of alternative fuel source, but it is much more pure than CNG. The downside to LNG is that it must be cooled at extreme temperatures to liquefy.
Methanol
Biomass Alternative Fuel
Methanol, also known as M85, also makes the list of prominent types of alternative fuels. While methanol is normally made from natural gas, it can also be created through fermentation biomasses, making it a biomass fuel. Methanol is currently not very competitive on the market, but it is one of those types of alternative fuels that is available for anyone to use. The most common place to find methanol comes from where it gets its name. In vehicles, M85 is 85 percent methanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline. Research is ongoing that would use pure methanol to create fuel cells. The advantage of methanol is that it uses much less petroleum and current vehicles only need minor modifications to incorporate it into engines.
Ethanol
Another Biomass Fuel
Another type of alternative fuel, similar to methanol, is ethanol. Ethanol, commonly grain alcohol, is made by fermenting biomass, usually corn. The most common use of ethanol on the market consists of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline. The biggest advantage of a switch to ethanol is that it is commercially available in many areas, and several of the leading vehicle manufacturers are producing E85 compatible vehicles. Ethanol is a renewable resource and contributes nothing to global warming.
Biodiesel
A Natural Alternative Fuel
Like methanol and ethanol are to gasoline, biodiesel is a natural replacement for diesel. Biodiesel, or B20, is becoming more and more available. It is commonly made from canola oils or soybean oils and it is considered to be a renewable resource. The biggest advantage to biodiesel is that, with only a modest investment in equipment (found at just about any local hardware store), a homeowner can produce his own biodiesel. A current diesel engine only requires small modifications to run on biodiesel and it can be mixed.
Hydrogen Fuel
Another type of alternative fuel gaining more and more media attention is hydrogen fuel. The single problem with hydrogen is that it only occurs naturally at the outer edge of the atmosphere. Creating hydrogen as a fuel source comes from either reforming natural gas or electrolyzing water. Currently the creation of hydrogen takes almost as much energy as hydrogen produces. However, the reason that it is getting the attention as one of the most “alternative” of the alternative fuels is that when burned, it only produces drinkable water, leaving a zero carbon footprint. While none of these types of alternative fuels is perfect, and there is lots of room for improvement, in the future we may find that some types of alternative fuels become more important. Research goes on, and scientists keep finding new ways to use alternative fuels and new ways to improve them!
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