The idea dates back to 2005 from MIT experts who suggested the use of E85 boosting to take advantage of the properties of ethanol and other alcohols with similar composition. Ethanol has excellent evaporative cooling effects when it interplays in the fuel air mixture when it enters the cylinder.

The concept will require a vehicle to have two fuel tanks and of course acceptance of the owner for a dual fueling concept.

The E85 concept resulting to suppressed knock can allow compression ratios to be increased and may permit higher boost for turbo or super charged engines. The technology will ultimately lead to downsizing of engines without sacrificing the performance of the vehicle.

The team from MIT developed an ethanol boosting system to commercialize their idea in 2006. They are now collaborating with the research and development team of Ford.

The use of the E85 boosting system with the gasoline PFI will make car owners and consumers realize that gasoline can be used more efficiently with their cars as gasoline is the fuel primarily used in most vehicle models.

Conclusions of the study established that the concept can hold water as a more cost efficient biodiesel alternative. Construction of an engine using the technology will also be a lot less than building a diesel engine. This engine will also be able to pass strict emission guidelines because of the high efficiency in terms of conversion of the fuel into energy.

This post is always limited. We're a small site, ran by two people who do this as a hobby - so we obviously can't offer you the daily updates a site like Motors.co.uk can. If you're looking for more up to date news, we gladly endorse them!

One of the reasons diapers are a viable source of conversion to fuel is the fact that they are consistent in substance. Using random garbage generates serious problems as the manufactures do not know what contents are present in any bundle of garbage. Diapers, on the other hand, are made basically the same way and can be collected in segregated disposal bins to carry to the processing plant. This means that the resulting concoction is the same every time creating a stable and consistent mix. And while other materials are incinerated causing deadly or toxic emissions, the diapers will be broken down molecule by molecule in a process called “pyrolysis” preventing any dangerous emissions and creating an alternative car fuel.

Apparently this process is not a theory but reality in Quebec, Canada where a plant is being built by AMEC PLC, the international engineering and project management conglomerate for a client, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, to convert diapers into synthetic diesel fuel.

Diapers are easily obtained through the collection of both infant and adult diapers. A system is already in place which makes collecting the diapers, known as foodstock in the alternative fuel industry, that much more popular as a raw source to convert to biofuels.

In response to this point and also as a way to augment a deteriorating lumber industry, several groups and scientists from Norway are developing processes to turn wood chips into the oil needed to make ethanol. By the year 2010, gasoline and diesel sold in Norway will require close to six percent bio fuels in the mixture. And since there are so many timber farmers, it seems reasonable that wood chips should be used as the raw material for the resulting oil.

But unlike food sources, trees are much more difficult to liquefy. The specific process of turning wood chips from a solid mass to a liquid form is the basis of the present research and development. And the biggest dilemma is creating a substance that resembles fossil fuel oil as closely as possible.

As companies involved in forestry look for new ways to use trees, they are not quick to embrace wood chip ethanol as an answer to making bio fuels because they feel the venture is not profitable. Despite the skepticism, however, Norske Skog signed a contract with the Association of Norwegian Forest Owners and a new bio fuel prototype factory will be ready by 2009-2010 in Follum near Hanefoss.

First and foremost, politically the big players are going to squash any products that have received merit by way of government endorsements. For example, forcing gas companies to include a certain percentage of ethanol in the gas mix was not met in a welcoming manner. Moreover, car manufacturers have a vested interest in gasoline. If alternative car fuels gain a greater hold in the marketplace, carmakers will be forced to modify their equipment and their vehicles.

Second, it appears that humanitarian groups feel that farmers must choose between food and non-food crops. By encouraging energy farms and the planting of crops for the sole use in bio fuels, people are being denied the needed farmlands for food. In essence, people will starve because growing and harvesting foods will not be as popular. Taking the logic one step further, they feel it is immoral to focus on fuels at all when so many people are starving. Both food stocks used for bio fuel and non-food crops are a waste because they are used to propel cars. With all the hunger in the world, why are we even thinking about bio fuels?

Third, the environmentalists themselves have issues with the new crops being planted for creating ethanol. They insist that some of these crops are ruining eco-systems and the long-term environmental damage has not been properly assessed.

It is true that it is impossible to please everyone.

Today, Jarden Home Brands in the US distributes Java-Log “the funky new fireplace item that has quickly become the people’s choice firelog … It offers a wonderful solution to the much detested chemical smell associated with other firelogs”. In addition to the soothing sweet smell, the logs produce fewer emissions than wood, are considered environmentally friendly as they are made from waste coffee beans, and they sound like a real wood fire.

Not only are the logs made from a renewable and sustainable resource, they also help to keep millions of pounds of waste coffee beans out of landfill sites. They are cleaner burning producing less carbon monoxide and less creosote. The three pound logs are said to burn as long as other five pound logs and produce twenty-five percent more energy than wood. Another unique use of the logs is as a gardening application. Once the logs burn up, the ashes can be used to enrich soil for plants.

Rod Sprules from Ottawa, Canada, the inventor and creator of Java-Log has received patents for his product. In 2003, Time Magazine named Java-Log one of the coolest inventions of 2003. They claimed that in comparison testing, it was found that the log lit more quickly and produced taller flames than its regular counterpart.

Although mesquite will probably not be used in a broad sense such as fueling everyday trucks and cars, it can be used to power farm equipment and private fleets. The actual downside to a larger scale use of mesquite fuel is the cost to transport it. And some are not sure that mesquite poses the same problem as chopping down other trees. Once those forests are destroyed, what happens?

But according to researchers, mesquite has a ten year re-growth period, which allows new trees to replenish quickly. Also, in places like Texas where mesquite trees are considered invasive and troublesome due to their long reaching roots and greedy consumption of water, putting the trees to good use seems highly beneficial. In fact, many cattle farmers and ranch owners would welcome the removal of the trees.

Proponents of mesquite based ethanol further contend that allowing mesquite refineries in rural areas where the product is consumed, will provide jobs and economic stability for years to come. In addition, mesquite can be used in power generation plants to convert it to electricity. And it does not add to greenhouse gas emissions like fossil fuels do.

The Alternative Fuels Blog will be talking about these alternative fuels, and we’ll hopefully be able to start in a couple days once we settle in…

Again — welcome!