Alternative Fuel Sources

This is just an outline for a power point slide show

Outline:

Slide 1:

Group A

Slide 2:

This would be the question we decided on.

Slide 3:

Scope of the Problem

• Gasoline Cost

• Pollution

Slide 4, 5:

Terms:

• E85: an alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline.

• Flexible Fuel Vehicle: an automobile that can typically use different sources of fuel, either mixed in the same tank or with separate tanks and fuel systems for each fuel.

• Photovoltaics: a technology that converts light directly into electricity.

• Cellulosic Ethanol: a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Its chemically identical to ethanol from other sources but has the advantage that the lignocellulose raw material is highly abundant and diverse. (Switchgrass, Woodchip, etc.)

• Biomass: Living and recently biological matter that can be used as fuel or for industrial production.

• Electrolyzers: a machine used to decompose by electrolysis.

• Electrolysis: a method of separating chemically bonded elements and compounds by passing an electric current through them.

-www.reference.com/browse/wiki/electrolysis

-http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=electrolyzer

- (I didn’t get references for the rest but I put what I had in)

Slide 6:

Criteria for evaluating solutions

• Pollution

• Efficiency

• Use of current Infrastructure

• Cost

Slide 7:

Solutions

• Ethanol Fuel

• Hydrogen Fuel

• Electric Vehicle

• Solar Power

• Pressurized Air Vehicle

Slide 8:

Ethanol Fuel

• Pollution

-The Production process of corn-based ethanol produces CO2. However, the biomass used to create ethanol absorbs CO2 as it grows. Ideally, ethanol adds no net CO2 to the atmosphere.

-Ethanol is water-soluble, non-toxic, and biodegradable.

-E85 contains roughly 80% less potential contaminates than gasoline.

-It can be ingested by humans; therefore it must be denatured with gasoline or a bitter agent to prevent ingestion.

-www.cecarf.org/Programs/Fuels?Fuelfacts?Bio-Fuels%20Facts.Html

-www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/toxicity.php

Slide 9:

• Efficiency

-Corn-based ethanol has about 2/3 the energy content of gasoline by volume which means lower gas mileage.

-Corn-based ethanol production is energy-intensive and some studies say that it requires as much energy to produce it as it yields.

- www.cecarf.org/Programs/Fuels?Fuelfacts?Bio-Fuels%20Facts.Html

Slide 10:

• Use of Existing Infrastructure

- Ethanol use would not require any significant overhaul of the existing fuel distribution infrastructure.

- However, only Flex-Fuel Vehicles can currently be fueled using ethanol.

- Alcohols are corrosive and therefore engine parts that come in contact with ethanol must be alcohol-tolerant.

-Tolerant materials include stainless steel and Teflon.

-Non-tolerant materials include zinc, brass, copper, lead, and aluminum.

-http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/differences.php

Slide 11:

• Cost

- Currently, ethanol gets roughly 30% fewer miles per tankful of gas. Factoring this loss, corn-based ethanol sells fro about $4.09 for the energy equivalent of gasoline.

- Ethanol can be produced domestically thereby reducing reliance and money spent of foreign oil.

- Cellulosic ethanol costs about 50% more than corn-based ethanol, about $6.04 per gallon of gasoline equivalent.

-www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2006/alternative-autos-and-fuels-1105/renewable-fuels/

-http://grist.org/news/maindish/2006/12/06/E85/

Slide 12:

Electric Car

• Pollution

-Carbon Monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions are negligible when using electric vehicles, but the emissions of sulfur oxides increase.

-Assuming that an electric vehicle is charged with 100% coal-fired electricity, the study estimated that the electric vehicles would emit 150% more carbon dioxide, 250% more nitrogen oxides, and 2400% more sulfur oxides

-http://www.srsharkey.com/charging2.htm

Slide 13:

• Efficiency

- If