Does anyone have any opinions about alternative fuels?

Question

Does anyone have any opinions about alternative fuels?

Answer 1

Hydrogen isn't really a fuel. It requires more energy in the form of electricity to make hydrogen from water than hydrogen produces. That means hydrogen is only as clean as the prime mover used to generate the electricity.  

Want clean electricity? Its time to put a solar collector in space.

Of course there are sources of pure hydrogen. Neptune for example is so cold that hydrogen exists on the surface in crystal form. The space program is not considered 'green' technology so we can't even go to Neptune to get the fuel. Not sure we should because adding hydrogen to our atmosphere will cause water levels to rise and deplete the oxygen levels.

Ethanol and bio diesel are carbon fuels. The carbon footprint is more or less equivalent to gasoline and diesel. The only 'green' part of bio fuels is that the fuels are renewable. Meanwhile we are taking food out of the mouths of people who can't afford to eat now.

Answer 2

hydrogen is an accident waiting to happen the ways to go are

ethanol (corn oil), solar power, wind power, hydro power, geothermal power

Answer 3

Evidently there are those who don't understand why our food prices have risen astronomically. The price of corn has gone up due to conversion to ethanol. Therefore, the price of food, especially those containg corn oil and corn syrup has gone up.

The government subsidizes the production of corn and the production of ethanol. You are getting a $.10 less per gallon cost for an ethanol blend at the pump, but you are paying more than double that $.10 in taxes for the subsidies.

Bio-diesel is also another reason food prices have gone up because soy beans are used in production.

Hydrogen isn't even close to being a viable alternative because of A. storage problems, B. lack of production facilities, and C. nothing to run it in.

The energy used to produce hydrogen comes from electricity which is produced by coal, oil, gas, hydro, wind, solar, and nuclear facilities.

The logical answer would be to step back fifty years and reintoduce after-market kits for existing vehicles, and new vehicles that use propane and LNG.

Why reinvent the wheel? The big grant money to pursue this avenue doesn't exist.

We will never be free of some dependence on petroleum. That's a fact. What we need to concern ourselves with is being independent of the piques of other countries.

The US is the second largest producer of Natural Gas in the world. Let's make use of that instead of waiting 20 to 30 years for a pie in the sky energy that costs more to produce than it saves.

Answer 4

I believe bio fuels are the next step in becoming energy independent. The reason I do not think hydrogen is a good idea is that hydrogen is extremely dangerous, but in time and with more research it may prove to be a good fuel. For the time being biofuels is the only logical step. You can produce biodiesel with algae which does not affect food prices. It bothers me when people say that all biofuels will raise food prices. To me that is just stupid you can get oil for biofuels from algae and grow those algae on land that is unsuitable of agriculture. One acre of algae can produce over 10,000 gallons of oil for biofuels. Also there is a company called Green-fuel producing this algae and making not only biodiesel but ethanol to. So a variety of fuels can be made. These fuels can be used in current vehicles with little to no modification. Which brings up the point that if we switched over the hydrogen or something like that you will need to buy a new car, with bio fuels you don’t, with biodiesel you don’t have to do anything to your motor. So that is my opinion on alternative fuels, biofuels is that next step.

Answer 5

Hydrogen is the only one worth pursuing.  Alcohol requires more forest and grasslands to be cut down.

Answer 6

Corn based ethanol is a huge mistake being pushed by huge agribusiness corporations and corn state politicians. It leads to global food instabilities, an enormous dead-zone in the gulf of Mexico, and an over-reliance on industrial agriculture and genetically modified crops.

Ethanol in theory isn't a bad idea, but more work needs to be done on cellulose ethanol. Soy bio-diesel would be a better first step. From virgin oil stock, soy has a 1 to 5 energy conversion ratio as opposed to ethanol which has a 1 to 1.3 conversion ratio. Plus, diesel vehicles are inherently more fuel efficient.

Hydrogen requires massive amounts of energy to produce.

Really, these are all band-aid solutions to the real social and political issues that need to be managed. We need real infrastructure and cultural change, not just a new way to do things the old and incredibly wasteful way.

Answer 7

I think the tech that should be researched is the one where we can pour a glass of water in the tank and run on that for a week.  The only reason that will never be a reality is the fact the government cannot tax the water needed to fuel this as they tax the gas of today.

Answer 8

I burn wvo.I get it for $1. a gal. I run one tank with veg.and a small tank with diesel to purge veg out when shutting down.

No power loss,30 mpg(34 on diesel),smells great.