Biofuels for Our Engines – #365papers – 2017 – 109

#365papers for April 19, 2017

Agarwal, 2007, Biofuels (alcohols and biodiesel) applications as fuels for internal combustion engines: Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, v. 33, p. 233-271.

What’s it about?

This lengthy paper is a summary of the types of biofuels (that is liquid fuels produced from crops) that can replace ethanol and diesel in common engines used for transportation and agriculture. It goes into the sources of such fuels, some of the mechanisms to make the fuels, and efficiencies.

Why does it matter?

It would be nice to be free from dependence on fossil fuels. Because much of our infrastructure is dependent on liquid fuels for our engines, we need a replacement. Biofuels may be one possible replacement.

Why did I read this?

Get ready. I’m on an ethanol jag. Ethanol is one of the liquid biofuels proposed to replace gasoline. Ethanol is also what’s in beer. Remarkably, the methods to make ethanol in either case are fairly similar.