Biofuel
Autor: RG Serviços | Publicado: 2009-07-02T12:19:00-07:00

Biofuel is any fuel biological unless it is fossil. Originate mixing of one or more plants as well as: cane sugar, castor tree, soybean, canola, lepidopoides, babassu, junk organic, among other types.Types of biofuelIn Portugal, are considered biofuels, under Decree - Law No. 62 / 2006 [1] (Decree - law transposing the subject to policy no. 2003 / 30 / EC and creates mechanisms to promote the marketing of minimum quotas of biofuels; provides ten types), the following products:bioethanol: Ethanol produced from biomass and / or fraction biodegradable waste for use as biofuel;Biodiesel: ester and/or ethyl produced from vegetable oils or animals, quality diesel fuel for use as biofuel;biogas: fuel gas produced from biomass and / or fraction biodegradable waste, which can be purified quality natural gas for use as biofuel or woodgas;biometanol: produced methanol from biomass for use as biofuel;) "dicarbonate: dimethylether produced from biomass for use as biofuel;Bio - ETBE ((methyl ethyl - tert - butyl alcohol): ETBE produced from of bioethanol, the percentage by volume of bio - ETBE considered as biofuel equal to 47%;Bio - MTBE () "methyl - tert - butyl alcohol): fuel produced based on biometanol, and the percentage by volume of bio - MTBE considered as biofuel 36%;biofuels: synthetic oil man-made hydrocarbon mixtures synthetic produced from biomass;"biohydrogen": hydrogen produced from biomass and / or fraction biodegradable waste for use as biofuel;pure vegetable oil produced from oil: oil produced by pressure, extraction or processes comparable, crude or refined but chemically unmodified, when its use is compatible with the type of engines and their requirements for emissions.ConceptsBiofuels are renewable energy sources, derived from materials such as agricultural, forestry, biomass cane sugar and other organic material. There are several types of biofuels: ethanol, biodiesel, biogas, biomass, biometanol, dicarbonate (methyl, bio - ETBE, bio - MTBE, biofuels, "biohydrogen".But the main biocombustiveis are: biomass ethanol, biodiesel and biogas.BiomassBiomass is a source of clean energy and renewable available in great abundance and derived from organic materials. All bodies able to perform photosynthesis (or derivatives of them) can be used as biomass. Example: wood, manure and vegetable oil or even junk urban. The maximum is being done to obtain energy from biomass, since the oil and coal are precautions, electrical power is increasingly scarce (since this energy depends on the strength of water) and nuclear energy is dangerous. Another important factor is that humanity this producing increasingly garbage and trash this also is capable of producing energy, this helps solve various problems: lower level of environmental pollution, containing the volume of junk of cities and increase energy production. Benefits: clean energy and renewable, less corrosion of equipment, waste issued for his burning do not interfere in the greenhouse effect, be a source of energy, be decentralizing income, reduce dependence on oil from underdeveloped countries, decrease the garbage industrial (as it can be useful in the production of biomass), low - cost deployment and maintenance.Four ways of transforming biomass energy:pyrolysis: through this technique, biomass is exposed to altíssimas temperatures without the presence of oxygen, aimed at accelerating decomposition. What dregs of decomposition is a mixture of gases (CH4, co and CO2 – respectively, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide), net (vegoils) and solid (charcoal);gasification: as well as the pyrolysis, biomass also is heated in the absence of oxygen, generating as final product a gas fire. This gas can still be filtered to remove some components chemical waste. The basic difference in relation to the pyrolysis is the fact the gasification require less temperature and result only gas;combustion: here the burning of biomass is abundant high temperatures in the presence of oxygen, producing steam high pressure. This steam is usually used in boilers or to move turbines. Is one of the most common ways today and its energy efficiency is in range from 20 to 25%;co-firing: this practice proposes replacing part of the coal used in a termoelétricas biomass. This way, reduces significantly the emission of pollutants (mainly sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, responsible for acid rain). The performance of biomass is between 30 and 37%, so it is an option and attractive and economic today.BiodieselBiodiesel is derived from renewable organic lipids, such as vegetable oils and fats, for use in engines ignition (diesel). Is produced by Transesterification and is also a fuel biodegradable alternative to diesel oil, generated from renewable energy sources, free of sulphur in its composition. Is obtained from vegetable oils such as sunflower, rapeseed, colza grain, cotton, castor tree, soy.BioethanolBioethanol is obtaining the ethanol by biomass to be used directly as fuel or join esters of vegetable oil and form a fuel, this process is the name Transesterification. Ethanol is a colourless alcohol, volatile flammable and totally soluble in water, derived from cane sugar, maize, grapes, beet or other cereals, produced by fermenting sucrose. Commercially, is known as ethyl alcohol and its molecular formula is c2h5oh or c2h6o.Ethanol is now a product of several applications on the market, widely used as fuel automotive in the form hidratada, blended gasoline. Also has applications in products such as perfumes, desodorantes, medicines, cleaners home and alcoholic beverages. Outstanding as a major energy sources in Brazil, in addition to being renewable and clean. Is the largest world producer of ethanol, which, when used as fuel in cars, represents an alternative to gasoline oil. Included in the production of ethanol State of São Paulo and Parana responding together for almost 90% of total harvest produced. In addition, Brazil is leading the world production of cane sugar (main raw ethanol), an industry that handles several billion dollars per year. This represents a less dependent Brazil to oil.Environmental impact and advantagesBiofuels are presented as alternatives to fossil fuels are renewable energy. The renewable energies are considered when their production exceeds their consumption. Rather clearly with fossil fuels. Thus, biofuel is any fuel biological origin other than fossil.In the French language, is made a difference between the words "biofuels and agrocarburante. Agrocarburantes are fuels for motor cars and other) obtained from agricultural products produced for this purpose.There are also biofuels produced from oils commonly used.Environmental balance and socialThe environmental balance depends on biofuels industry considered (alcohol, pure vegetable oil, biodiesel etc.) and the type of agriculture practised (intensive agriculture, organic farming etc.).Biofuels resulting from the recycling of waste oils can be considered that there is a positive environmental balance, because these oils could be pollutants or have a use less efficient.As biofuels produced from agricultural products, to make a environmental balance must be taken into account the impact of fertilizers and pesticides, water consumption, which can be very important for certain plant species, and the impact on biodiversity when huge areas of culture replace areas very rich in species (tropical forests and other hot spots as the Mediterranean area). The balance sheet CO2 bio–fuels is not neutral, taking into account the energy necessary for their production, even if the plants to check the carbon in the atmosphere: we must take into account the energy needed for the production of fertilizers, for the transportation of agricultural tractors, for irrigation, for the storage and transport. The row of pure vegetable oil has a better balance sheet of biodiesel.OECD and FAO are questioning biofuelsAccording to the report of the Organisation for economic cooperation and development (OECD) and the United Nations for the food and Agriculture (FAO) on prospects for agriculture world in the next decade, published on Wednesday, 4 July 2007, if a high price for some products, particularly for cereals.Analyzing what has happened so far, the drought in some countries cereal farmers and the reduction of surpluses due to demand Chinese and the reform of the common agricultural policy (Cap) explain the recent spikes in prices of some raw materials. "But, looking to the long-term, structural changes that are occurring will maintain high prices for many agricultural products in the next decade," says the report. What changes are these? "The reduction of surpluses and a decline of export subsidies contributing to these changes, but the most important is the growing use of cereals, sugar, oil and vegoils to produce substitutes for fossil fuels, i.e. ethanol and biodiesel." Which will lead to higher prices of cultures, malignancy.this, drift, which will reflect in the final costs.According to the report of the European Union, the quantity of oil used for biodiesel should increase from the current ten million tonnes to 21 million within ten years. In the United States, ethanol from corn will double by 2016, while in Brazil, the 21 billion litres today produced saltarão for forty - four billion.The report emphasises that, in most countries temperate, ethanol and biodiesel is not economically viable without public support. Which means that political decisions taken in the short term may modify the scenario described in the study. The introduction of new technologies and the price of oil are two other variables that also contribute to remaining many unknowns about the future of this new market.