Biodiesel: A Green Fuel
Gasoline and other petroleum products, when burned, release noxious gases into the air, increasing smog and global warming. Knowing the harmful effects of smog and global warming on the human population, as well as the biosphere, scientists are on the hunt for a cleaner source of energy.
One of the leading candidates today is biodiesel. Chemically speaking, biodiesel is a long chain ester. It can be made by combining alcohol and lipids. Animal fats, such as lard or butter, and vegetable oils, such as corn and olive oil, are used to produce biodiesel.
An obvious advantage of biodiesel immediately comes to mind: reuse of fats and oils. Restaurants and other confectioneries frequently use grease to deep fry their products. After three or four batches of fries or onion rings, the oil can no longer be used. On a busy night, a restaurant can through ten or more gallons of oil.
What do we do with this oil? Before the advent of biodiesel, this oil was thrown away as waste. However, this used oil is no longer regarded as waste. In fact, many businesses have sprung up, specializing in the collection of deep fry oil from restaurants.
These agencies may recycle the oil, so that it can be resold, or they may turn the oil over to a biodiesel manufacturer. A few months later, the same oil that was used to fry your chicken is fuelling the city bus that you are riding.
In addition to biodiesel’s ability to reuse what would otherwise be waste, biodiesel also releases less carbon dioxide. Each gallon of gasoline, when burned, releases 24.30 pounds of the greenhouse gas. Conventional diesel releases 26.55 pounds. Biodiesel, on the other hand, releases only 5.84 pounds, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by over 75%.
Interestingly enough, biodiesel may also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. From what materials is biodiesel made? Alcohol—and vegetable oil. The oil crops, be they soybeans or corn, constantly absorb carbon dioxide during their growth. Not only does biodiesel cut carbon dioxide emissions, it eliminates sulfur emissions completely. Furthermore, it also produces less carbon monoxide, an extremely toxic gas, and fewer smog-forming particles. Using biodiesel really does a lot for our air.
Furthermore, biodiesel generates much more energy than its manufacturing consumes. Gasoline, for instance, produces a net energy gain of 19.5 percent. That means if you used 100 kilowatt-hours to make some gasoline, that amount of gasoline would release 119.5 joules when burned.
Diesel’s energy gain figures are even lower: 15.7 percent. Biodiesel’s energy gain, however, took everyone by surprise: 220 percent! For every kilowatt-hour you put into making biofuel, you get 3.2 kilowatt-hours back.
Finally, did you know that biodiesel is good for your engine? Because biodiesel burns very cleanly, fewer particles of contaminants are left behind. This leads to reduced friction for the engine. Biodiesel’s smooth consistency also lends itself well to lubricating the engine.
Biodiesel presents obvious environmental advantages. It allows for reuse of waste materials. It reduces emissions of harmful gases. Finally, its energy generation capabilities are astronomical. Biodiesel may well become the fuel of the future.
