Biofuels: Ethanol an Alternative Energy Source
Abstract
In today's society, when someone wants to go to the movies, work, school, library, or mall, they drive to their destination. The average amount of gasoline consumed per year is about 146 gallons in the U.S. (Biofuels for Transportation, p1). Discoveries of huge petroleum deposits kept gasoline cheap for decades and biofuels were forgotten (Leen, p1). However, with the recent oil prices, along with growing concern of global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions, biofuel regained popularity (Leen, p1). Ethanol, a renewable fuel made from plants was added to gasoline to increase octane and help the engines burn more efficiently and cleanly (West,p1).
Introduction
Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (EtOH) is an alternative energy source which produces a fuel with higher octane rating and fewer emissions than unblended gas (West, p1). Some sources used to make ethanol are sugar canes, maize, sorghum, fruit and vegetable waste, barley, wheat, potatoes, molasses, cotton, or any other plant that contains a large amount of sugar. But the leading U.S fuel crop is corn. Corn byproducts allow more fuel to be made from the same amount of corn by breaking down the starches in its cell walls (Benefits, p3). The enzyme Tran 2 increases production of alcohol from corn by 2% to 3% (Benefits, p3).
There are four steps toward making ethanol. First, the feedstock is ground for easier processing, then when the sugar is dissolved from the ground materials, the microbes feed on the sugar producing ethanol and carbon dioxide as byproducts (West, p2). Lastly, the ethanol is purified to achieve the correct concentration (West, p3). This grain alcohol is a colorless and flammable as well as drin...
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Throughout this experiment, fermentation plays huge role because it will allow us to test which different sugar structures, sucrose and stevia are ideal as an energy source for yeast in order to ferment and break down to produce ethanol. If sucrose is favorable for yeast fermentation, the end product will be ethanol and none would be produced with stevia thus our hypothesis would be supported. If it turns out that stevia produces ethanol as the end product of fermentation, our hypothesis would be refuted since we stated that it would not be able to be broken down by the yeast due to its many ring structures in its molecular structure that contain strong covalent
When we say ethanol production we are referring to the use of ethanol as a hybrid fuel for automobiles. What hybrid fuels means is that instead of running a car solely off of ethanol or gasoline alone, ethanol is actually blended in with standard fuel grade gasoline to create the ethanol fuel hybrid. Ethanol is derived from alcohol; it is a grain alcohol that is typically broken down from corn, although it can be obtained by other means such as Brazilian sugar cane, wheat, barley and potatoes (West). The way ethanol is created, according to Larry West in an article titled How is Ethanol made, is by fermenting plant sugars from photosynthesis, treating them with enzymes followed by then inserting tiny microbes to feed on the sugar that will finally b...
Cellulosic ethanol will not be able to meet its mandated output because in the past four years since demonstration and pilot sites started popping up it has only just started t...
The main reason people have not converted to cleaner, healthier fuel is that hybrid and electric cars are more expensive than the cars and gasoline we are using now. However, we could implement a program for selling cleaner fuel at a lower cost than it is now offered. If this program were organized correctly, the increased costs would be minimal in the long run and the benefits would be enormous. After considering several possibilities, I concluded that alcohol-burning cars are more practical than other environmentally friendly options because electric and hybrid cars or cars that run on natural gas are more expensive and are less convenient to refuel.
During the fermentation process, the starches in the grain or fruit are broken down through saccharification into sugars and then the sugars are broken down into alcohol. This process is sped up greatly by the infusion of sugar, yeast, and/or malt. In whiskey making, the basic fermenting mixture of grain, water, and other ingredients is called “mash”. To go from the fermented mash to alcohol requires the additional step of distillation. In this process, the essence, of the fermented liquid, is separated from the water through heating to appropriate temperature.
Chemistry is at the heart of all nutrition. Thus, to truly grasp alcohol, one must know the basic molecular compounds that the body consumes and divides. The most accessible energy resource the body ingests is carbohydrates (rice, beans, breads, pasta, sugar, fruit, etc…). Carbohydrates are made
The tradeoffs of using gasoline for cars are large emission of carbon dioxide and required large amount of chemical t...
For over 100 years, the automobile industry has relied on gasoline as its main source of fuel. Gasoline is a colorless, highly flammable substance used in internal combustion engines. It is a fossil fuel made from crude oil, a natural gas formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals (Webster‘s Dictionary). Gasoline has positively influenced our way of life by providing convenient, on demand transportation. It has created a global economy that moves people and goods faster and more easily than ever imagined (Povey 12). Although a seemingly perfect substance, it has unprecedented flaws. The tremendous political, environmental, and economic problems resultant from the excessive use of gasoline leads to the conclusion that the automobile industry should not continue to rely on this source of fuel.
Cushman, Lynd, Nichols, Wyman. “Fuel Ethanol from Cellulosic Biomass.” Science. March 1991. Vol 251 (4999):1321
Gasoline and the economy, the impact it has on the society. The current gas prices have a larger impact on consumer spending, however not so much on the percent of gasoline purchased, after all people still have to drive themselves places. (consumer psychologist.com) A major increase in cost will be necessary to lessen the quantity demanded. Gasoline is too costly and harmful to the economy and the environment thereby society needs to find alternative fuels, which best serve, the society.
...her combination of intoxicant. There are several better plants to use, sugar cane and algae all produce far more ethanol than corn does. Keep in mind that running on electric sometimes is better than running on gas all of the time, But to see for yourself go down to the car dealership and ask for yourself.
Alcohol is made through a process called fermentation (how alcohol is made). It is the process of sugar being broken down into carbon dioxide and ethanol. The main ingredient in fermentation is yeast. Yeast breaks down grains, fruits, and its main function is to get the alcohol
Preparation of Ethanol and Ethanoic Acid Introduction to report ---------------------- This report contains 5 practical experiments to produce ethanoic acid from ethanol. The first practical is the preparation of ethanol from glucose using yeast during the process of fermentation; this has been demonstrated in class. In this practical the glucose is converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide by respiratory enzymes from the yeast. The ethanol solution will be between 5-15% and the ethanol will be separated from the yeast by filtering.
The process of alcoholic fermentation begins with the use of enzymes. The enzymes begin to break down the long chains in starch molecules, a polysaccharide that consists of a large quantity of glucose molecules (C6H12O6) joined by glycosidic bonds as seen in figure 1, into single glucose molecules, a monosaccharide with six carbons and five hydroxyl groups. After the starch has become sugar, the enzymes are used once again, this time to convert the sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, CO2, as seen in figure 2 (World of Scientific Discovery, 2007). The carbon dioxide produced is released into the atmosphere, leaving water and ethanol, the alcohol, behind. Ethanol is a colorless flammable liquid with a molecular formula of C2H6O, giving it a molar mass of 46.07 grams per mole. Ethanol is also characterized by a melting point of -114°C or 159 K.
With the depletion of fossil fuel resources comes speculations and debates about alternative energy sources. The world, including the Philippines, is practically dependent on a dwindling non-renewable source of energy. Today, experts are debating about and considering three options: Nuclear, Solar, or Wind Energy. Everyone has been accustomed to the bad image of nuclear energy as a result of the Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents above all others. The popular belief is that radiation from a nuclear meltdown is very harmful to humans and other living things—which is true—and that nuclear power plants are very dangerous and not ideal—which is not. According to Smith, et. al (n.d), all the nuclear disasters that ever occurred were caused by human error and natural disasters like tsunamis, not one because of system failure. Putting the false beliefs aside, with proper engineering and adequate maintenance by experts, a nuclear power plant is a very ideal and viable source of energy for the following reasons: