Biofuel Production - Is Membrane Technology the Answer?

Biofuel production with the help of membrane filtration technology is not entirely new technology as some think it is. In fact we are talking here about tried and proved industrial method that has been utilized in many industrial facilities, and after many positive experiences has been now implemented in biofuels production.

Many energy experts expect that with the help of membrane filtration technology "second-generation" cellulosic ethanol production could be significantly improved, especially in terms of fuel recovery as well as getting as much as possible secondary products from the used feedstock. To put things as simply as possible this new technology should mostly help improve the efficiency of biofuel production by offering lower overall energy costs.

The things you need to know about the membranes used in this process is that they are highly engineered, and they are designed to allow the passage of materials only up to a certain size and shape. As said above the process of membrane filtration has been used extensively in several different industry facilities for many years. The best examples to mention here would be sugar, food, wine, and similar other enzyme manufacturing sectors.

But let us get back to biofuel production. Membrane filtration technology is becoming very important in production of biodiesel, where membranes are used to facilitate water reuse, this is especially helpful in areas where water is scarce..

Energy experts expect that within this decade we will see lot more biofuel facilities that will use this process for biofuel production. This should also increase the popularity of biodiesel and other biofuels on global level.

Ned Hall has so far written many interesting articles about biofuels, as well as many other interesting renewable energy articles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ned_Hall

Read More..

Cellulosic Biofuel Issues

There are many different types of fuel available for use by consumers for transportation purposes. Some of these fuels are sourced from naturally occurring deposits below the earth's surface. Crude oil, a form of fossil fuel, is one of the most common types of substances extracted from deposits deep below the earth's surface. Crude oil is processed into a useable substance, either gasoline or diesel fuel, that can be used in automobiles, trucks, locomotives, ships and generators. Although fossil fuels are the most common fuel sources, they are also some of the least efficient and produce some of the highest levels of carbon emissions of any fuel. Carbon emissions can be harmful to environmental processes, which is undesirable and there is a finite natural source which may be depleted very rapidly at the present rate of consumption.

There have been technological advancements that allow the use of non-fossil based materials that can be converted into useable products that can, in part, replace fossil fuels. One of the materials that have used to produce biofuels is corn. Corn is a reasonably good alternative fuel source. However, there are some downfalls of corn as a feedstock; it needs to be replanted in order to have a crop each growing cycle. While corn is a good alternative to fossil fuel, some argue, there are even better alternatives know as cellulosic biofuels.

Biofuels are fuels produced from organic materials that are grown rather than drilled for in deposits found in the earth. Cellulosic biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic sources but not from corn or other high sugar content feedstock. It is actually produced by using feedstock that is alternative to corn feedstock. Wood chips are just one example of an alternative feedstock source. Another example is algae; algae are very abundant and are very easily renewable as a feedstock choice.

Cellulosic biofuel is fast becoming a viable option to traditional fossil fuel based products. The abundance of material is changing the industry very rapidly. What was once a fringe idea and a very inefficient model has become the new challenge and goal of fuel producers. By utilizing organic feedstock, that in some cases is waste product from other manufacturing processes like saw dust or wood chips, the producers of petroleum and petroleum based products will slowly change the landscape of transportation fuels. Cellulosic biofuels are the future of the petroleum industry.

From clean energy to green technology, Alexander Sutton is involved with a number of green endeavors and wishes to spread awareness about environmentally friendly issues. For more information, please visit Cellulosic Biofuel.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Sutton

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6128711

Read More..

Algae Based Biofuel Production: The New Wave Of Green Energy

The "green" trend has been around since the 1970s, when an OPEC boycott, gas rationing, and spiking prices called into question our reliance on oil. The creation of suburbs and expansion of cities led to increased numbers of large, gas-guzzling cars on the road, and air pollution was growing more prevalent, begging the question, "How can we find inexpensive, clean, renewable energy?"

Enter the Biofuel Revolution. Biofuel is any fuel produced from biomass, or organic material. The challenge is to produce biofuel from biomass that can be renewed, so that it won't tap out as a fuel source the way oil reserves will. With recent gas price hikes and the number of SUVs and inefficient fuel-burning vehicles on the road today, the issue of biofuel production is once again at the forefront. Some recent biofuels, such as ethanol, have met with limited success: Yes, ethanol waste is mostly water and ethanol is cheap. But the amount of land and energy that goes into planting, maintaining, and harvesting corn for ethanol, on top of ethanol production, make it much less environmentally-friendly than previously thought. Plus, there are ethical considerations about growing fields of food crops just for biofuel production.

Energy investors today are putting efforts into a new solution: algae based biofuel production. Algae use sunlight, ocean and wastewater to grow, and produce oil that is then harvested. The amount of oil that can be produced for biofuel from 15,000 square miles of algae farms is estimated by the US Department of Energy to be enough to replace all petroleum-based fuel in the country. That statistic is astounding: algae based biofuel production would use less than one-seventh of the land dedicated in the US to corn production, and would produce up to 100 times more energy per square mile. Algae are also biodegradable, and unlike petroleum, are relatively harmless if spilled. Best of all, algae don't require high-quality soil, so farms producing algae could use land unsuitable for food crops.

With the discovery of clean algae based biofuel production, what is holding back the market? The answer is the same as with many biofuels of the past: High prices. Capital investments to set up a farm are costly. In time, these investments will be recouped and prices will drop, however. And with oil prices rising steadily, green biofuel may be competitively priced sooner than we thought. Good news for green energy.

From clean energy to green technology, Alexander Sutton is involved with a number of green endeavors and wishes to spread awareness about environmentally friendly issues. For more information, please visit Algae Based Biofuel Production.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Sutton

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6336638

Read More..