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....
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
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
Nonrenewable vs. Renewable Energy Use Energy is required to run households, industrial units, transport, and for the production of goods and services in their basic as well as advanced form. With respect to its potential of depletion and reproduction ability, energy is divided into two categories, non-renewable and renewable energy. Energy derived from non-renewable resources, those which cannot be reproduced or replenished to their original level is called the non-renewable energy.
The feedstocks that are considered include going back on coal Gasification, and coal liquefaction, stranded natural gas and oil which was heavy and available from the 'oil shale' or 'tar sands', and biomass. Because of its eco friendly nature and sustainability biomass is to be considered as the better alternative. There are some technical barriers that have to be overcome in using biomass as alternate feedstock. Governments are now
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
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