The process of combustion provides much of the energy used in today's developed and developing world, most namely in automobiles and other forms of transportation. Combustion requires carbon-based fuels, which, when combined with oxygen, produce heat, carbon dioxide, water, and other reaction by-products. The most common, traditional fuel is oil, which is refined to produce both diesel and unleaded forms of gasoline. Oil is very carbon-rich, providing an excellent source of energy through the processes of combustion. However, oil is the result of the compression of organic material over thousands of years, under high pressures and temperatures, and thus is not considered a renewable resource. In recent times, more and more attention is being paid to finding and developing alternate types of carbon-based fuels, with an eye to both maximizing efficiency and reducing harmful chemical by-products.
Alternate fuels include biofuels, also known as agro-fuels. Organic materials are excellent sources of carbon. The alternate carbon sources are mainly from grown sugar and grass crops, as well as alcohols. Some of the most common categories of biofuels include:
Biofuels are relatively easy to use and implement, for instance in filling the tanks of cars and buses. Several educational institutes are making use of ready supplies of biodiesel to run shuttles and transportation. At Yale University, the Yale Biofuel Project and the Yale Office of Sustainability have endeavored to run one of the campus shuttles entirely on recycled vegetable oils from the dining halls.
Biofuel Analysis from Yale University return to topSwitchgrass has been hailed as a highly energy efficient carbon source. It grows easily on the North American plains, and grows up to 2 meters high. One of the main uses of switchgrass is to help prevent erosion. It is also rich in the fiber cellulose, and can be processed to form cellulosic ethanol, which is in turn an excellent biofuel. Each acre of switchgrass can produce up to 1000 gallons of ethanol, which can be compared to 665 gallons of ethanol for each acre of sugarcane and 400 gallons of ethanol from an acre of corn.
Switchgrass Analysis in PNAS return to topMiscanthus has been highly touted as an even better alternative energy source than switchgrass. Miscanthus grows taller than switchgrass, has a longer growing season, and is more carbon-rich. One of the largest academic research centers on miscanthus is located at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Miscanthus Program at UIUC Miscanthus vs. Switchgrass return to top
