McPherson High School
McPherson Kansas
Teacher Robin, Long
Fuels
By Andrew Webster
12th Grade
What comes to mind when Americans think about alternative fuels? Do we think of Hydrogen, Ethanol, or biodiesiel? How about electric hybrids? There are many options that we may choose from, but what is the best way to go?
According to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 we must find alternative fuels and…improve on the fuels that we already have…on the market. We must all face the fact that one day we will run [out] of our traditional [gasoline. Recently we have been running ethanol that is mixed with gasoline. It still burns in the combustion engine but can cause harm internally and cause the engine to have a shorter lifespan. In the Act it states that we will have the technology one day to run vehicles off pure hydrogen and that will be very efficient which will be a good thing for the future of humanity. Unfortunately this will cost the country billions of dollars and may take time to [accomplish].
Bio diesel…would be a very efficient and less costly [fuel]. It is cheap to make and one can [produce] it in the garage [since] it is made out of vegetable oil. [Bio-diesel] is safe on newer cars, [whereas older] cars with all natural gaskets will have their rubber hoses rot away, oils can sludge up and clog fuel filters, and [can also] kill the fuel injectors causing premature injector failure. If [a car is] driven in winter [the driver] would need to add additives to the fuel tank to prevent sludge.
Bio-diesel has been around since the 1970’s. Originally a man was trying to create a completely new type of diesel that would run great and not damage the engine. …He ran a mixture of ½ diesel and ½ vegetable oil. …Unfortunately, after several months his engine had become sludge and his fuel system was rotted away by the mixture. He also [discovered] that the engine seemed to be sluggish when idling. …Additives were needed in order to keep the engine running in colder climates. Although some newer vehicles were able to run on [pure vegetable oil] without major effects, it is recommended to alternate once in a while. For example, every three months one should switch to prevent moisture build up in the gas tank. It is recommended to also research this before proceeding and to go to an expert or someone who knows what they are doing before switching over.
There is a newer type of fuel cell out now. A heated fuel tank… prevents [it] from freezing. This fuel cell usually runs in price from $300-1200 depending on application and [whether] it will be installed by a trained professional. Here are some of the chemicals that must be removed in order for the fuel to be pure and run correctly: glycerin…fatty acids and…alcohol. Be sure to have low sulfur content. Low emissions, a higher burning compatibility and [the fact that it] will lubricate your engine better that regular diesel are [a few] advantages. If used correctly, bio diesel is a safe alternative to diesel.
Next Ethanol is a cheap [fuel]. …The past 5 years especially we have been using ethanol a lot more [than we did] previously. In my opinion we should develop [better] internal [engine] parts that are less likely to die from premature failure. Ethanol is still [being] researched. It will take several more years in order for it to be completely safe to use with [any] engine. …Therefore, in today’s market, research will vary depending on how much it is funded. …The gasoline industry is at a record high financially but what will happen when Gasoline becomes [more] scarce? …The oil industry will become broke [and] gasoline prices will go to a record high. Cars will not be able to run due to the price of gasoline and people will riot. What[ever] the future, [it] is purely in God’s hands.