McPherson High School
McPherson, Kansas
Teacher: Robin Long
Alternative Fuels
By: Clayton Abell
12th Grade
Many pros and cons exist in the debate over alternative fuels. A person might think that only hippies and tree huggers are concerned with alternative fuels, but they affect each and every person in the world. Driving an older carbureted car may prove to be a problem in years to come. Most carbureted vehicles cannot burn and run on ethanol-based fuels. [There are] many good things about alternative fuels…like cleaner air and cheaper prices at the gas pump. To find a new cleaner, cheaper, better fuel source is the goal of many scientists today.
Ethanol is a very possible alternative to gasoline fuels. Ethanol is derived from corn and is very much like Moon Shine in its raw form. Biodiesel is a cheaper, cleaner diesel fuel. A process called “Transesterification” in which the glycerin is separated from the used fat or vegetable oil that has been salvaged from restaurants, is used to make the end product…called “methyl esters” (the chemical name for biodiesel), [these are] mixed with regular diesel. The glycerin that is extracted is then sold to be used in soap and other products. Another fuel that can be mixed with plain gasoline is called liquefied hydrocarbons or “casing head.” The only problem with casing head is its very high-octane content. After a while, the casing head will destroy your engine header.
For many people with older cars, newer ethanol fuels will prove to be a problem. Due to the high amounts of alcohol in ethanol, older cars [can] not burn it for long. A result of trying to burn an ethanol-based fuel is [that] head gaskets, fuel lines, and fuel filters will most likely melt under the acidity of the ethanol. Another problem with nixing gas is that the by-products of gasoline will no longer exist. That means there will be no more diesel, kerosene, and so on. A lot of two stroke lawn mowers, chain saws and weed eaters require a mixture of gasoline and oil to function properly for a long time.
Another good thing about new alternative fuels is the reduction in air pollution [that will occur]. With cleaner burning fuels we could help the planet as we drive about. New vehicles, like the Hybrid, are changing the way we commute from place to place. The Hybrid has a combination of diesel and electric motors. The diesel engine is for long drives on highways and cross-country; the electric motor is more for driving around town and other short distances. Don’t be fooled, though, the proud owner of a brand new Hybrid does not need to plug in his car every night. The diesel engine charges the batteries that power the electric motor. One still needs to buy diesel to power the internal combustion engine.
Pretty soon hydrogen-powered cars may be the way of the future. Hydrogen power is quite simple. Water molecules can be split in half by a process called electrolysis. If this process is reversed, then hydrogen and oxygen molecules create water. When this happens electricity is made. In the fuel cells hydrogen fuel comes into contact with a platinum plate. The plate then breaks down the hydrogen atoms into positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. Electrons are then screened- out with electrolyte, a substance the ions can pass through, but the electrons cannot. Then all the electrons are collected and sent through a wire to power a motor. The electrons are basically electricity at this point. Thirty years from now, I can…see the potential of a nuclear powered car. Granted, this will make automobile crashes more exciting, but a car would run virtually forever.
Bullet trains are quickly becoming popular in parts of Europe and Asia. The theory of the bullet train is electro-magnetic railroad tracks move the train along at speeds well over 300 miles per hour. Superman may be faster then a speeding bullet, or more powerful then a locomotive, but he never tried to stop a bullet train, did he?
The world of alternative fuels is vast and confusing, but I like to think that what I have said here today made some sense and made alternative fuels less scary. We have entered a new millennium. The time for change is now. Alternative fuels are inevitable at this point, so, I figure why fight it; embrace it.
Web sites used:
http://sln.fi.edu/inquirer/hydrocar.html