Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Synthetic Fuels are liquid or gaseous fuels that are used as an excellent alternative to gasoline and natural gas. They are derived from a variety of sources like coal, tar, biomass etc. As the demand for fuel is increasing there is more extraction from the natural sources and consequently faster depletion of the same. Synthetic fuels offer to be an excellent solution for this problem of depleting energy resources. Some of the important synthetic fuels that are industrially produced are Methanol, ethanol, hydrazine, synthetic Hydrogen, etc. Let us look into two main methods of producing synthetic fuels before discussing their advantages and disadvantages.
Fischer- Tropsh Method
One of the important laboratory methods of producing synthetic fuel is the Fischer- Tropsh method. This method is actually a reduction of carbon monoxide. Two German scientists named Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch developed this method. This process essentially involves a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide reacting in the presence of cobalt catalyst at high temperature and 5-10 atmospheric pressure....
The product is a mixture containing liquid hydrocarbons. By means of fractional distillation the synthetic petrol is separated from the other products.
Bergius Process
Another well-known method is the Bergius Process found out by Dr. Friedrich Bergius. In this method finely powdered brown coal or lignite is reacted with hydrogen gas at high pressure and temperature. (450 degrees). This hydrogenation process yields alkanes and the final condensation of the vapors yields synthetic petroleum or what is known as crude oil. This upon fractional distillation yields synthetic petrol and other oils. [B.S.Bahl]
Hydrogen Gas
Synthetic Hydrogen offers an environmental solution to the energy crisis faced by the world. Cost effective production of hydrogen has always been a major hurdle. However scientists are the looking at a novel way of tackling this problem. The new technique is to isolate the hydrogen producing enzymes from micro-organisms and study their structure and to duplicate their actions. Researchers are already working on this…
Bibliography
James E. Kloeppel, "Synthetic Enzyme shows Promise as Way to Make Hydrogen Cheaply," "Inside
Illinois" Vol 19, Pg. 8, November 18, 1999. Also available online at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/10/991008075716.htm
2) B.S.Bahl, Arun Bahl "A text-Book of Organic Chemistry," 'Synthetic Petrol', Chand
Company 1991, pg 191.
A similar method, called gas-to-liquids (GTL), which also uses the FT process, is receiving a lot of attention these days. In this method, natural gas is used as the feedstock. Waste or natural gas that cannot be marketed is partially oxidized into CO and H2 gases. This synthesis gas is then supplied to a synthesis unit to similarly produce a liquid fuel. The development of synthetic jet fuels to augment
Such biodegradable batteries have the ability to last 3 to 4 times longer than the lithium ion batteries in use today. It is not just the average consumer who is interested in these products but the military is also extremely interested in using such sugar-powered batteries. The portability of such devices would be appropriate for the extreme mobility required in the battlefield. It would also be suitable in emergency
Two possible sources of hydrogen fuel are the reforming of methane and the electrolysis of water."4 Both of these foregoing techniques, though, require additional energy to complete their respective processes. For example, reforming methane to create hydrogen requires the combustion of additional methane to provide the heat require for the reformation of the methane into hydrogen.4 As Hiserodt also notes, "Ironically, after using large amounts of energy to free
Alternative Energy Sources Concerns that have been raised regarding energy security have been occasioned by fears about oil and other fossil fuel depletion; reliance on foreign sources of energy; geopolitics; developing countries' energy needs; environmental concerns; population dynamics; and renewable and other alternative energy sources (Shah, 2011). This essay seeks to establish whether alternative energy sources can help ease human reliance on oil. It is important that governments invest on alternative sources
Solving South Africa's Energy Resource Crisis Introduction The subject of this case study is the role of women in power in South Africa’s energy sector. This case study will answer the question of whether or not South Africa’s first female appointed Minsiter of Minerals and Energy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, is responsible for the ejection of the foreign national powers which previously controlled South Africa’s energy sector. There is a considerable amount of evidence
Multiculturalism Myth, Literature, and the African World The book Myth, Literature, and the African World, was published in 1976, twenty years before the author, Wole Soyinka, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his Preface, he clearly wants to convey that African academia has created a kind of "intellectual bondage and self-betrayal" by not facing up to truths about the fact that African literature must not be merely "an appendage of English