Fuels produced based on organic materials can be simply defined as biofuels. Both types of plant and animal waste can be used for this. In everyday life, plant and animal waste are a form of renewable energy that can be used for this. Energy sources such as coal, natural gas, etc., which produce fossil fuels, are also produced by digesting plant and animal waste for a very long time and another complex process.
Due to the current fuel crisis in Sri Lanka, it is a very valuable decision for us to resort to the use of biofuel. However, due to the depletion of existing energy sources soon, there will be a fuel crisis in the whole world. Therefore, it is very useful for all of us to have good knowledge about this.
There are two types of biofuels. That is primary and secondary biofuels. Primary fuels are organic materials that provide immediate energy without any prior processing. Examples include firewood and wood chips obtained from wood. Secondary biofuels are any mass that can be used to generate energy after production. Examples are fuels like bio-ethanol, biodiesel, etc. These are now industrially produced in the world.
There has been an interest in the use of this biofuel in both developed and underdeveloped countries. As fossil fuels become scarcer, their prices are also high. But since some biofuels can be made at home, the initial cost is not high. In some underdeveloped countries, firewood has been used for cooking, washing, and boiling water in the kitchen since before. It is a primary biofuel. However, 80% of the biofuels consumed today are used for this purpose. 18% of other biofuels are used in industrial processes, while only 2% of biofuels are used as feed-stocks for vehicles in the transportation industry. Also, the need for biofuels is very important as the aim is to improve the emission ratings of cars. Therefore, the use of these biofuels is becoming more popular.
As primary biofuel production does not require complex scientific processes and involves no mechanical processing, simply cultivated or spontaneous crops can be harvested, dried, and burned. But secondary biofuel production is quite different. It also requires scientific knowledge.
Recently popular bioethanol is produced using alcohol. This process is similar to the production of whiskey, vodka, beer, wine, and other spirits. Starch in plants is first converted into sugars and then into alcohol in several chemical processes and fermentation, which is also used in heat. The alcohol thus produced is refined using a modern process to ensure that it is viable for use in vehicle engines.
But biodiesel is different from bioethanol. The first part of the process is the same – the ingredients are forced to react with certain chemicals, then heated to ferment and form alcohol. The alcohol is then mixed with animal fat or vegetable oil to make biodiesel. Different types of oils can be used, from coconut oil to rapeseed oil.
Such fuel products require good scientific knowledge as well as some initial costs.
However, the only environmentally friendly solution to the current fuel crisis, fuel costs, and environmental pollution is the use of biofuels.
By Rtr. Sasanika Jayarathna
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