Ethanol and Natural Gas

Ethanol?

- also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, or drinking alcohol-volatile, flammable, colorless liquid-molecular formula : C2H6O

Ethanol fuel

-Ethanol fuel is most often used as a biofuel additive for gasoline.

-In 2011, worldwide ethanol fuel production reached 84.6 billion liters.

-U.S. is the top producer accounting for 62.2% of global production, followed by Brazil.

-U.S. and Brazil together produced 87.1% of the world’s ethanol fuel production in 2011.

How is ethanol fuel made?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59R-NqykoXs3’10”

To summarize: Grow common crops like sugar cane, potato, and

corn Ferment During ethanol fermentation: C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH+ 2 CO2 + heat Distill Dehydrate

Pros & Cons Renewable No harmful wastes Lower carbon

emissions than gasoline

Cheaper

Price rises of common crops like corn (can lead to food shortage)

Lots of energy required in manufacturing energy

If used as fuel for car, it can cause malfunction at low temperatures

Low energy output

What is it suitable for? Transportation: cars, trains, tank trucks Chemical plants Car industries

How do we make it viable?

Cut down construction costs Develop technology to get better engine power

using ethanol fuel than other fossil fuels Develop technology that uses micro-

organisms(such as bacillus) instead of crops to produce ethanol fuel

Implementation plan 2018 : production of better engine power than

fossil fuel (when used as car fuel)

2025 : development of technology that uses micro-organism

2030 : replacement of 30% of U.S. oil consumption

Something to think about….

Natural Gas? Naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture

Primarily methane, but contains alkanes, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide

Shale Gas & Tight Gas Natural gas that is

found trapped within shale formations

Natural gas produced from reservoir rocks with such low permeability

Horizontal drilling and Hydraulic fracturing

fracturing of rock by a pressurized liquid commonly used in wells for shale gas

and tight gas hydraulic fracturing first experimented in

1947 video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzLZnidztpI 22’’-4’44’’

How natural gas plants work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em1c

rnEt45Q (36”-1’48”)

Pros & Cons

cleanest combustion fuel available

do not release toxins efficient (abundant

and cheap) transportable

Finite water pollution high construction

cost not enough natural

gas stations

What is it suitable for?

Power generation (especially electricity) Domestic Transportation Fertilizers Hydrogen

How do we make it viable? Cut down construction costs

Minimize greenhouse emissions

Develop new oil drilling technique

Prevent water pollution

NU’s discovery

Implementation plan

Conclusion

Whether it is natural gas, ethanol fuel, or any alternative energy, we have to make right decisions in choosing our future energy. This is why we have to continue our research on viable alternative energies. The future energy should be clean, but most importantly, cost-effective.