Definition of the Subject and Its Importance
Biofuels come in many forms and from a variety of sources. The biofuels may be solid (biomass), gas (biogas), or in liquid form (biodiesel, ethanol, etc.). Biofuels may be derived from most plant material as well as some animal parts, typically animal fats. As plants grow over much of the world’s landmass and their primary source of energy is the sun, biofuels are abundant and renewable. Furthermore, as biofuels absorb the sun’s energy to grow, biofuels are nature’s solar energy battery.
Biofuels have been used for thousands of years as a source of heat and light for civilization. However, as humanity’s energy consumption has become more sophisticated, fossil fuels have gained a technological edge in refining and supply chain management. For the last decade, renewed interest in biofuels has increased the adoption of biofuels for making heat and electricity. The drivers for the interest in...
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Abbreviations
- Alcohol:
-
A compound in which the –OH group is connected to an aliphatic carbon atom.
- Biofuel:
-
General classification of a fuel refined from recently harvested organic matter.
- Biomass:
-
The solid form of biofuel.
- Biogas:
-
The gaseous form of biofuel.
- Bioliquid:
-
The liquid form of biofuel, ethanol, and biodiesel.
- Catalyst:
-
A substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible.
- Cetane number:
-
A measure of the ignition quality of diesel fuel and influences combustion characteristics.
- Feedstock:
-
The raw material that will be processed into a fuel.
- Petrol-diesel:
-
Diesel fuel that is derived from petroleum.
- Pour point:
-
The temperature at which a liquid stops behaving like a liquid.
- Transesterification:
-
The process of converting one ester into another ester using an alcohol and oil.
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Betz, F. (2012). Biofuels and Sustainable Buildings . In: Meyers, R.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3_222
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