Fuel from crop waste
A group of scientists in Taiwan have managed to create clean burning fuel for vehicles from plant waste and straw. Crop, such as rice, leaves behind a lot of straw and organic waste matter which can now be turned into fuel. When farmers reap the crop field, a lot of this unwanted straw either gets turned into fertiliser or is discarded as waste. Now however, scientists can utilise this waste to produce fuel. Alien to our country, ethanol infused fuel can be found at many fuel stations around the world. In China, fuel is a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% petrol. Biobutanol can be produced from wasted straws, bagass, and wood wastes. Although the demand for biobutanol is rising, the process of fermentation for this particular fuel still remains very inefficient.
Abhijeet
Published On Dec 24, 2014 15:28 IST
Published OnDec 24, 2014 15:28 IST
Last Updated OnDec 24, 2014 15:28 IST
789 Views
- Write a comment
Comparing with ethanol infused fuel, which is a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% petrol, butanol infused fuel consists of 16% butanol and 84% petrol. It’s even more ecofriendly and produces less carbon dioxide. Very few people are familiar with the concept of biobutanol production. It cannot be used directly, hence, it has to be extracted and undergo through a few chemical transformations before use. The scientists are optimistic that biobutanol can be mass produced in the next 3 years. Their project entitled “Carbon loss-free cellulose butanol production technology” won the 2013 Research and Development 100 Awards. The development of this study is a strong encouragement for the team sitting in Taiwan and it will keep working on it.
Was this article helpful ?
<p> </p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Since his early days, Abhijeet Singh has always been considered a mentalist for speed. He reserves a nice sounding engine as a symphony orchestra. Recognised as a bit left field thinker, he states that all iconic vehicles on the planet, apart from their engines and designs, had a soulful character contributing to their greatness. Having driven cars from Lamborghinis to Nanos to even tractors, Abhijeet believes all vehicles have a character that forms an integral part of our lives, ‘imagine where mankind could have reached without cars’. Being a critic, his knowledge and skill extend both on four-wheels and two-wheels. Art experts around the globe argue that cars can never be art, but Abhijeet begs to differ. Also an avid photographer, he mentions that through the lens of an artist, cars are one of the most beautiful subjects. Both an engineer and MBA, he holds a keen eye for the product as well as corporate proficiency of the automobile industry.</p>Read more
