Future of Automobile fuel
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1st part
All this began 60 years ago when we realized that mineral oil stock is not perennial. Some experts suggested that all the stock of fossil fuel will be exhausted by the year 2050 AD; that means in another 40 years the world will have no petrol or diesel and other mineral oil by-products required to run industry.
This realization has made many people think of alternative to fossil fuels. Scientists are working to solve the problem of this type of fuel for last about fifty years. In the earlier period because petrol was available and that too at the prices one can easily afford, this problem was taken jokingly all over. Gradually prices of this fuel and its derivatives are increasing and a few years ago many countries realized that their economies ill afford this fuel. With all this realization not many countries were in a position to do any thing to resolve this problem. Scientifically advanced nations were expected to take initiative in doing all the research required to get to the solution of the problem. These nations are all very wealthy and they could afford this mineral fuel even at the prices it was offered and as a result these countries were not very serious about the problem until they understood the gravity of the issue. There we always say, “a stitch in time saves nine”, now the time has come to think of this problem very seriously.
What was keeping scientific communities from these advanced countries, from taking up the issue in time? This query is put up by many observers. Many believe that petroleum industries’ stake was behind keeping these people from trying out methods and ways to find an alternative for these fuels. They were afraid; in case a suitable solution is found early, it may affect their interests in this business. Now the situation is changed. Petroleum industry has realized that their days are numbered and any solution is found will not make much of a difference for their interest. As it is this industry will come to an end in coming few years. Many petroleum industries are now interested in investing sizable funds for research in this subject. So far all the research has been done by Universities and contribution of any commercial firm in the research for the solution is not seen anywhere. Even today research in this field is controlled by universities but the picture is gradually changing in so far that some business firms are showing interest in the issue. Basic research was, as is always the case, being done by different universities even today. University research is mainly of academic value. To do commercially valuable research, needs funds university ill affords.
Many alternative options are considered in this regard. They are:
Use of battery powered motorized vehicles, using sun power to first produce electricity and then either driving engine directly or to first save it in battery, and then use it as is required.
Use of vegetable oils, transesterification process to make fuel from thicker vegetable oils.
Using ethanol or mixture of ethanol and petrol as fuel.
And finally,
Using algae (Botryococcus braunii Kurtz) to produce Triterpenes which is further converted into regular petrol and diesel.
For last fifty years people have done a lot of work in these options and tried to make each one a preferred option. There we see many advocates of each one of these options but non of them has been found to be the successful candidate in the race. They all have their plus, minus points; and very often we see that the minus point over ride the plus points, and finally they are rejected.
In this article we shall see option of battery powered vehicle. I chose this option for discussion because; we see that quite a few models in two-wheeler and four-wheeler, powered by battery are coming in the market these days.
Arguments put up to justify this choice are, battery can be charged at home using normal electricity supply and the vehicle runs without pollution and sound. Lightweight engine, good maneuverability while driving, easy to maintain and finally cost effective.
Arguments put up to reject this choice are, slow speed, load carrying capacity poor, high cost of battery, frequency of charging is annoying, as battery gets older charging efficiency is reduced making the vehicle uneconomical. Over discharge of battery reduces life of battery. Most of the companies coming with their models reserve the mechanism details from others and so repairing them is difficult. Local mechanics cannot repair them. This dependency becomes a serious problem when the vehicle is not working. Electronics involved is considerably complicated, proper circuit diagrams are not provided in service manuals, and that makes maintaining these vehicles almost impossible. Usually life of battery is exhausted within three years and so every three years one has to change the battery. Tubular batteries are having longer life but at present no manufacturer of these vehicles is providing them as original equipment. Lead pollution or if battery is lithium then lithium pollution are going to make these battery-operated vehicles not suitable for use in the near future.
People having taken these two-wheeler have agreed with the list of shortcomings mentioned above. Particularly, if the user is staying far away from the site of the manufacturer, service is not provided by the local dealer to the user and that makes using these vehicles very difficult. For first three years every thing goes well but afterwards maintenance problems have made these vehicles unusable.
We shall consider other options in the next part. This is to enlighten readers about this problem of future of automobile fuel. We shall come to the final solution, scientists from Australia have found. The research has come to the level that now; industries have began to take interest in the findings.
These articles will help you understand the issue in the right perspective so that you will not be fooled by any propagandistic writing supporting any of the options mentioned in the list given above. Final solution is not listed in there.
In the 2nd part we shall consider prospects of process of Transesterification.
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