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There are two well-known biofuels that are widely available today: ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol comes (in most cases today) from the fermentation of corn, using approximately the same process that has been used for centuries to make beer and then whiskey. Biodiesel comes from soybean oil or corn oil using a fairly simple process. A [...]
Humans have a tendency to sprawl. You’ve seen it on the bus or train when your neighbor spills over into your narrow seat. With the help of an orbiting satellite, you can see it on a larger scale, with urban areas sprawling out for miles in every direction. Sprawl has entered the energy lexicon as well, and not everyone’s happy about it.
Some gasoline contains MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether. Find out why MTBE is added to gasoline in the first place, and why it’s no longer a popular additive, in this episode of BrainStuff.
Today’s entry in the top 5 biofuels spectacular is good old sugar cane. If you’re into producing sugar cane, then there’s a 45 percent chance you’re Brazilian. They produce about that much of the world’s ethanol from the cane. And they’ve been doing so since the 1970s, so they’re pretty darn good at it too.
The cool thing about sugar cane is that it requires very little energy input to distill down to bioethanol. The reason why is that producers use bagasse, the fiber that remains after extraction of juice from the sugarcane, as the heat mechanism in the distillation process. In other words, they use part of the plant as part of the “fuel” it needs to complete the process. Pretty cool, eh?
OK, people. Who’s ready to talk biofuel? This guy, that’s who. First, how about a biofuel lesson that everyone can easily understand? When fuel is burned, it releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. CO2 is a good thing in some ways, it’s used by plants to grow. But too much of it has caused [...]
Different types of racing vehicles require different types of fuel. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of each fuel type.
Could switch grass become the car fuel of the future? Learn more about alternative fuel in this HowStuffWorks podcast.
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