Sub: Chemistry Topic: General Chemistry
Question:
There are many automobile industries exploring different types of energy supplies other than
gasoline. Conduct some research on these alternative fuel sources for automobiles.
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Write an essay discussing three (3) fuel alternatives to gasoline for automobiles. Be sure to
include the advantages and disadvantages of each. Then give some detailed background
information on one specific automobile model that uses one of your alternative fuel sources
and answer the following questions in one of the paragraphs in our essay:
1. Would you consider buying one of these in the future? Why or Why Not?
2. Why do you think there are not more of these vehicles in use?
Solution:
Alternative fuels for automobiles:
Alternative fuels
Alternative fuels are derived from resources other than petroleum. It may particularly have
desirable energy efficiency and pollution reduction features. Some of the important alternative
fuels are biodiesel, alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol) and electricity [1, 2].
Alcohol (Ethanol)
Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling starch crops. Using ethanol-
blended fuels rather than conventional gasoline can reduce air pollutants like carbon monoxide,
creating economic benefits by cutting health care costs. Two higher blends of ethanol, E-85 and
E-95 are being explored as alternative fuels in demonstration programs. Ethanol is also made
into ether, ethyltertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), which has properties of interest for oxygenated
gasoline and reformulated fuels.
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Sub: Chemistry Topic: General Chemistry
Advantage:
The environmental benefits of ethanol include: 10% ethanol blends reduce carbon monoxide
better than any other reformulated gasoline blend. Ethanol is a safe replacement for toxic
octane enhancers in gasoline such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. ETBE lowers gasoline
volatility and reduced volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from automobiles [3].
Disadvantages
Ethanol is costly to produce and use. It has a smaller energy density than gasoline. An important
consideration with ethanol is that it requires vast amount of land to grow the crops needed to
generate ethanol fuel [4, 5].
Electric Fuel
Electricity is unique among the alternative fuels, in that mechanical power is derived directly
from it. Batteries commonly provide electricity used to power vehicles, but fuel cells are also
being explored. Batteries are energy storage devices, but unlike batteries, fuel cells convert
chemical energy to electricity. A large number of various types of batteries are being tested for
use in EVs. Some of the technologies being used or evaluated include lead-acid, nickel
cadmium, nickel iron, nickel zinc, nickel metal hydride, sodium nickel chloride, zinc bromine,
sodium sulfur, lithium, zinc air, and aluminum air.
Advantage
The first benefit of using electric fuel is, it does not pollute the environment. The maintenance
cost for Electrical vehicle is less and has fewer moving parts to service and replace.
Disadvantage
The biggest real disadvantage of electric vehicles, at present, is their higher price. The modern
freeway-capable electric vehicles have ranges between recharges of perhaps 60 to 120 miles
[6].
Bio diesel
Biodiesel (mono alkyl esters) is made from, renewable sources such as vegetable oils. Just like
petroleum diesel, biodiesel operates in combustion-ignition engines [7].
Advantage
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Sub: Chemistry Topic: General Chemistry
The use of biodiesel is, it reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate
matter. It also reduces the solid carbon fraction of particulate matter, elimination of sulfate
fraction.
Disadvantage
The main disadvantage of biodiesel is fuel cost and maintenance costs, and it is less suitable for
use in low temperatures. The biodiesel produced from agricultural crops involve additional land
use [8].
Automobile model of electric car
An electric car (Reva G-Wiz Automatic Electric Vehicle) is a car powered by an electric motor.
Electric cars are created by converting a gasoline-powered car by changing the gasoline engine
to an electric motor and lot of conversion. Then the electric motor gets its power from a
controller. The controller gets its power from an array of rechargeable batteries. A gasoline car
is a plumbing system where an electric car is definitely an electric wiring system [9].
Yes I would like to buy an electrical car in future because it reduces pollution (98% less). It is
easy to maintain and their simplicity. Electricity is so cheap compared to any other fuel.
Electric car are not more of in use because of its high cost. The batteries have to be recharged.
It is not efficient for long journey and lack of power source now-a-days [10].
** End of the Solution **
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Finance, Marketing, Statistics, Economics and others. Check out more solved problems in our Solution Library.
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*The Homework solutions from ClassOf1 are intended to help the student understand the approach to solving the problem and not for submitting
the same in lieu of your academic submissions for grades.