Alternative Fuel Source Research Articles

Extraction of liquid fuels and chemicals from terrestrial higher plants. Part I. Yields from a survey of 614 Western United States plant taxa

In an effort to identify higher plants which may be useful as alternative new sources of fuels or chemical feedstocks, 832 plants representing 614 taxa from the arid and semi-arid regions of the western United States were collected and analyzed for their yields of nonpolar (hexane-extractable) and polar (methanol-extractable) constituents. Taxa with yields of up to 16·4% (dry weight) of nonpolar extractables (i.e. Chrysothammus paniculatus, Parthenium argentatum) and up to 43·3% (dry weight) of polar extractables (i.e. Rhus trilobata, Stillingia sylvatica) were identified. A complete list of all the taxa surveyed, with yields, is included so that low-yielding taxa can be eliminated from subsequent surveys and further consideration.

The Design and Analysis of an Energy Integrated Dairy System

ABSTRACT MANY opportunities exist for energy conservation and production on a dairy farm. To ascertain which opportunities are the most appropriate requires a detailed assessment of both the technical and economic benefits associated with the alternative production processes or management practices, and the alternative sources of fuels. These alternatives must be evaluated at both the subsystem and total system level to determine how they will be integrated into the labor, management, environmental and economic structure of the farm. This paper examines some of the technical, economic and logistical problems associated with the design of integrated energy systems in agriculture. In particular, it presents results of an engineering effort to design and implement an energy integrated farm system on a private dairy farm.

Hydrogenation of Tasmanian alginite — analysis of hexane-soluble products by thermal distillation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The liquefaction of coals and oil shales has the potential to provide a valuable alternative source of liquid hydrocarbons. Characterization of the products from liquefaction studies provides information on the nature of the hydrocarbons formed from various source materials and hence on their potential usefulness as alternative sources of liquid fuels. This paper reports a study of the nature of the hexane-soluble hydrocarbons derived from the hydrogenation of an alginite concentrate of Tasmanites sp. Characterization of these mixtures has been achieved by thermal distillation (TD) combined with computerized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (c-g.c.-m.s.). With increase in the temperature of hydrogenation a decrease in the relative concentration of tricyclic diterpenoids is observed. At the same time there is an increase in the concentration of tricyclic aromatic compounds. The presence of the metal halide catalysts, zinc chloride and tin(II) chloride, reduces the temperature at which the elimination or aromatization of the diterpenoid compounds occurs.

Tar Sands: A New Fuels Industry Takes Shape

Problems have delayed exploitation of tar sands in Alberta, but they have certainly not halted it. One by one, these problems have been overcome until, today, tar sands are the most promising near term alternative source of fossil fuels. One company has been mining tar sands and extracting oil from them for 10 yr, the last 2 yr at a profit. A second, much larger plant is now about 95% complete, and a third plant and possible fourth are on the drawing board. More than 20 companies have operated pilot projects for in situ recovery of oil from the tar sands. About 16 of these pilot projects are still in operation and one commercial facility may be under construction within 2 yr. The greatest immediate beneficiary of this activity will be Canada, where most of the work is taking place. The development is described in some detail.

Effect of Sulfur on the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Abstract One of the principalcauses of present concern is the current unavailability of alternative sources of fuels for transporation. Other fuel imensive sectors, such as electric power generation, can depend on coal or nuclear fuel to provide the energy if petroleum-based fuels become scare. The transporation sector, on the other hand, is projected to need liquid fuels. Due to the relevant abundance of coal in the United States, it isimperative to find ways of converting coal to liquid fuels. Products from coal liquefaction processes contain a high aromatic content. Though this is a desirable comporent isgasoline, it is a very undersirable one in jet and diesel fuels (Table 1). In even higher boiling materials such as gas oils, the high aromatic content makes it quite difficult to produce gasoline by normal rednery processess. Fischer-Tropsch (FT)synthesis, in which carbon produces mainly straight chain aliphatic hydrogen obtained from coal gastfication are reacted over a caralyst, is the only develped coal-derived process which produces mainly straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbons. Although such aliphatic hydrocarbons are not very desirable on motor gasolines due to their low octare number, diesel and jet fuels containing such aliphatic, hydrocarbons are considered high quality materials. In addition, the higher boiling gas oil traction from the FT process is easily converted to gasoline and diesel fuel by conventional refining technology

A Comparative Study of Oil Shale, Tar Sands and Coal as Sources of Oil

During the past 20 years improved technical approaches to the manufacture of synthetic fuels from oil shale, tar sands and coal have made each of these sources a potential contender for a share of the liquid fuel market in the U. S. Here is a comparison of some of the factors that could influence their competitive position. Liquid Fuels Trends A comparison of oil shale, tar sands, and coal is rather academic unless there is a need for synthetic fuels. A forecast of liquid fuels supply and demand is shown in Fig. 1. For oil demand we have selected the median projection of Lansberg, Fishman and Fisher from their projection of Lansberg, Fishman and Fisher from their study entitled, "Resources in America's Future". This estimate is a composite of projections available to these authors at the time (1962) and has been confirmed by the President's interdepartmental Energy Study Group in their report entitled, "Energy R and D and National Progress", published in 1965. Oil consumption in 1966 exceeded this forecast by about a quarter of a billion barrels, therefore it can be reasonably presumed to be a conservative projection, even considering the effect of the Vietnam war. Stewart Udall, as Secretary of the Interior, suggested in an address to the National Petroleum Council in Feb., 1967, that imports should be limited to 30 percent of demand. Line 4 on Fig. 1 projects the production of domestic liquid fuels required if production of domestic liquid fuels required if imports are limited to 30 percent of demand. M. King Hubbert, a noted Shell Oil Co. scientist (retired) and a member of the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences, has studied intensively the patterns of oil discovery and production. He had concluded that the peak rate of production. He had concluded that the peak rate of discovery in the United States was reached in 1956 and that the peak rate of production would be reached about 1967. In our projection in Fig. 1, we use a later date (1973) for peak production, primarily because there is no alternative source of liquid fuels to fill the gap, and the oil required to meet demand during this period probably will be available from new fields in Alaska and from domestic production derived by further relaxing prorationing in Texas and Louisiana. The hatched area in Fig. 1 is an approximation of the market potential for liquid fuels from nonconventional sources. This could amount to 700,000 B/D by 1975 and 4,800,000 B/D by 1985. The trend clearly points to an opportunity and indeed a need for synthetic fuels if their economics can justify them. Our paper considers this question and the relative merits of each source. Reserves The potential reserves of hydrocarbon in oil shale, tar sand and coal suitable for conversion to synthetic oil are very large. Even those only remotely familiar with the subject have heard of the trillions of barrels of shale oil and our thousands of years of coal reserves. Tar sands also come in hundred-billion barrel numbers. As with the gold in sea water, these quantities are meaningless. P. 253

LIQUID FUEL from Nonpetroleum Sources

THE recent approval by the Congress and the President of a major research and development program of the Bureau of Mines looking toward the development of alternative sources of liquid fuels, together with numerous other suggestions regarding government coordination or regulation of research, makes it particularly timely and pertinent to attempt to analyze the proper functions and cooperative relationships between government and private research in an economy such as ours. Too much of the recent discussions of this problem has been in the fields of theory or of politico-economic controversy in which the writer does not care to participate. It does seem, however, that a serious attempt to analyze a concrete problem such as the production of motor fuel and other liquid fuels from sources other than petroleum, in which the public interest is great but its reliable information is inadequate, would be of value to both the scientific world and the public generally. ...