14
Alternative Fuels for Transportation
hydrogen (i.e., demonstration of hydrogen) for automobiles and power generation has been carried out all over the world.
Hydrogen can be combusted directly in the IC engines or it can be used in
the fuel cell to produce electricity, which can operate the vehicle. Hydrogen
can be introduced into the engines by manifold induction, direct injection
to the cylinder, and hydrogen–diesel duel fuel mode. On combustion of
hydrogen, only water vapor is emitted. Therefore, the use of hydrogen as
a transportation fuel would result in few or no emissions that affect air
quality.
Hydrogen is manufactured from water using energy from either fossil
or nonfossil fuel sources. The use of hydrogen has the potential to improve
the air quality and climate change. The methods to produce hydrogen
include electrolysis, photolysis, thermochemical water splitting, and thermal water splitting. In near term, hydrogen can also be produced from
coal gasification and from petroleum and natural gases. Hydrogen can
also be produced from various biomass sources. Gases generated by gasification can be steam reformed to produce hydrogen and followed by a
water–gas shift reaction to further enhance hydrogen production. Biomass
thermochemical conversion is one of the economical ways of producing
renewable hydrogen in large-scale. Anaerobic fermentation enables the
mass production of hydrogen from relatively simple processes using a
wide spectrum of potentially utilizable substrates, including refuse and
waste products. Moreover, fermentative hydrogen production generally
proceeds at a higher rate and does not rely on the availability of light
sources.
Hydrogen is a low-density gas. At ambient temperature and atmospheric
pressure, 1 kg of the gas has a volume of about 11 m 3 . The storage of hydrogen in a compact and efficient manner is a major technological challenge and
becomes an important area of research for the promotion in the use of hydrogen as an automotive vehicle fuel. Hydrogen storage implies the reduction of
an enormous volume of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen may be compressed to
store in a cylinder, the temperature of gas to be decreased below the critical
temperature (i.e., stored as liquid or in solid-state storage like metal hydrides).
A broad research and development on different aspects comprising hydrogen production, storage, and use in vehicular and fuel cells will improve its
practicability and acceptance.
1.4.4 ethers
Ethers are oxygenating fuel that improves the combustion efficiency. Dimethyl ether is the commonly used blending component in gasoline fuel.
Moreover, DME is a potential alternative fuel that can be used in engines
as well as onboard hydrogen generation fuel cells. DME can be produced
from natural gas and gasification of coal or biomass and synthesis. DME is
Alternative Fuels for Transportation
hydrogen (i.e., demonstration of hydrogen) for automobiles and power generation has been carried out all over the world.
Hydrogen can be combusted directly in the IC engines or it can be used in
the fuel cell to produce electricity, which can operate the vehicle. Hydrogen
can be introduced into the engines by manifold induction, direct injection
to the cylinder, and hydrogen–diesel duel fuel mode. On combustion of
hydrogen, only water vapor is emitted. Therefore, the use of hydrogen as
a transportation fuel would result in few or no emissions that affect air
quality.
Hydrogen is manufactured from water using energy from either fossil
or nonfossil fuel sources. The use of hydrogen has the potential to improve
the air quality and climate change. The methods to produce hydrogen
include electrolysis, photolysis, thermochemical water splitting, and thermal water splitting. In near term, hydrogen can also be produced from
coal gasification and from petroleum and natural gases. Hydrogen can
also be produced from various biomass sources. Gases generated by gasification can be steam reformed to produce hydrogen and followed by a
water–gas shift reaction to further enhance hydrogen production. Biomass
thermochemical conversion is one of the economical ways of producing
renewable hydrogen in large-scale. Anaerobic fermentation enables the
mass production of hydrogen from relatively simple processes using a
wide spectrum of potentially utilizable substrates, including refuse and
waste products. Moreover, fermentative hydrogen production generally
proceeds at a higher rate and does not rely on the availability of light
sources.
Hydrogen is a low-density gas. At ambient temperature and atmospheric
pressure, 1 kg of the gas has a volume of about 11 m 3 . The storage of hydrogen in a compact and efficient manner is a major technological challenge and
becomes an important area of research for the promotion in the use of hydrogen as an automotive vehicle fuel. Hydrogen storage implies the reduction of
an enormous volume of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen may be compressed to
store in a cylinder, the temperature of gas to be decreased below the critical
temperature (i.e., stored as liquid or in solid-state storage like metal hydrides).
A broad research and development on different aspects comprising hydrogen production, storage, and use in vehicular and fuel cells will improve its
practicability and acceptance.
1.4.4 ethers
Ethers are oxygenating fuel that improves the combustion efficiency. Dimethyl ether is the commonly used blending component in gasoline fuel.
Moreover, DME is a potential alternative fuel that can be used in engines
as well as onboard hydrogen generation fuel cells. DME can be produced
from natural gas and gasification of coal or biomass and synthesis. DME is