Question:

Can biofuels be used instead of fossil fuels?

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this is a research paper that is really long and i need all the hel p and information i can get..thanx

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  1. I"m working ona  project right now where wood is burned to produce electricity. You can use waste products from agriculture (biomass). As long as they have a carbon content, they can be used as fuels.

    Wood undergoes a process called pyrolysis where it is converted to carbon monoxide and hdyrogen. These gases then undergo combustion to produce energy.


  2. They can and are being used. The problem is that they are in extremely short supply compared to fossil fuels. It is easy to make enough ethanol for a few cars, but not to make enough for all the cars in the world.

  3. Yes and no.  

    Yes, they can be refined to replace this or that fossil fuel.

    No, this can't be done on a scale to significantly dent the demand for fossil fuels.

  4. Definitely yes; unfortunately, it is not yet practical or efficient enough to be marketable to the masses.

    - You generally need more biofuel to travel the same distance as with fossil fuel.

    - Biofuel may not offer the same amount of power as fossil fuel.

    - There currently is not much of an infrastructure to produce and distribute such fuels, and not much incentive for manufacturers to do so.  (Oil companies enjoy wonderful government subsidies right now.)

    - Most automobiles are not tuned to use biofuel; however there are some kits available for the do-it-yourselfers.

    Recall that when Thomas Edison introduced an invention, he presented it with a total solution.  Eg. he didn't just present electricity, he presented electricity along with the systems to practically produce and distribute it.

    When the price of oil goes past a certain point, biofuels might be given a serious consideration, but oil is actually still too cheap for most companies to take it serious.  Maybe wait for $100/barrel to see if something happens.

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