Alternative Fuel World

Nuclear power is any nuclear technology that can produce extractable energy sources and uses. Most the time this nuclear reaction is taken out in a controlled and sustainable environment called “Nuclear Reactors“.

The most commonly used method for nuclear energy today is fission, other methods like fussion, and radioactive decay also exisit today. All current methods involve heating a working fluid such as water, which is then converted into mechanical work for the purpose of generating propulsion. Today more then 15% of the worlds electricity comes from nuclear power.

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A nuclear reactor is a man made device in which nuclear chain ractors are initiated, controlled, then sustrined at a steady rate. As long as the nuclear reactions are maintained at a steady rate the risk for explosion is realtively small. Unlike a nuclear bomb whose explosion comes from the chain raction, and being uncontrolled and sustained causing a massive explosion.

The most significant use for nuclear energy is for the generation of electrical power and to power some ships and submarines. The nuclear energy these ships require are made from heat and steam from the nuclear reaction power stream.

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Methanol is also known as wood alcohol, wood naptha, wood spirits, or methyl alcohol. Methanol is a colorless liquid that is highly combustible and volitale if not handled with cauton. Methanol is highly posionous with a extremely disctinc odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter then ethanol.

Methanol at room temperture is a polar liquid that is used as an antifreeze, solvent, an alternative fuel to gasoline for cars, and is also used in the transesterification reaction for biodiesel.

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Biodiesel has many uses and can be used in B100 form, or blended with diesel at any concentration in most modern diesel engines. Biodiesel has different solvent properties then petrodiesel and will degrade natural rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles. Most vehicles made before 1992 will be most susceptible to these down falls of biodiesel. Biodiesel has also been known to break down in fuel lines, and clog fuel filters with particles. It is recommended that if you change your biodiesel concentration its advised you make a fuel filter switch as well.

The distribution of biodiesel is rapidly spreading along with its use. Fueling stations are making the B20 to B100 mixes readily available to consumers mostly across Europe, but growing rapidly in the USA and Canada as well. Surprisingly biodiesel is generally more costly to purchase, but you should save money in other area’s such as MPG and maintenance.

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Biodiesel is a non-petriluem based diesel fuel that is made by the refinement of vegetable oil. You can use it alone, or blended with conventional petrodiesel in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles. Biodiesel is distinguished from the straight vegetable oil (SVO) or waste vegetable oil (WVO), used vegetable oil (UVO), pure plant oil (PPO), as fuel sources in converted diesel vehicles.

Blends of biodiesel and conventional hydrocarbon based diesel oil are products most commonly distributed for use in diesel fuel vehicles and farm equipment. Must of the world uses a system known as the b factor to state the amount of biodiesel in any fuel mix. Fuel containing 20% biodiesel is labled B20, and of course pure biodiesel is B100. It is very common to see B99 since 1% petrodiesel is sufficiently toxic to retard mold.

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Oil shale is a fine grained sedimentary rock that contains large amounts of kerogen. With todays technology we can extract hydrocarbons from this kerogen. This process is known as pyrolysis that converts kerogen in oil shale to synthetic crude oil.

The hydrocarbons extracted from the oil shale kerogens is not real efficient for fuel use. Leaving many scientists to believe this non-conventional oil won’t be replacing any other fuels any time soon.

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