Major Alternate Fuels For Green Cars
A lot of talk has been going about the importance of green cars and why they are important. The governments are urging the citizens to adopt green modes to save the world from all difficulties that is going to face if something is not done about it. However, unless we know why it happens and what are the terms subjected to it, there is little that can be done. A few alternate sources of energy have been elaborated on to assist our better understanding of the whole problem.
Ethanol: Ethanol is liquid fuel which is thought to be a good alternative to conventional gasoline fuels like petrol and diesel. In the past, it was produced from sugar rich substances like sugarcane and corn. However, with advancements, their quantities can be increased exponentially by exploiting a newly discovered cellulosic process. The only thing coming between this becoming a mainstream fuel is that it produces lower energy compared to gasoline and hence gives lower mileage. It does manage to improve overall performance of the engine by reducing total internal combustion.
E85: A mixture of conventional and modern fuels, E85 is composed of 85% ethanol and the rest 15% is gasoline. Its best trait is that it has the ability to start a car even in the coldest of climates, a trait that has found huge popularity in regions experiencing extreme winters. E85 is gaining prominence and slowly spreading all across the American subcontinent. Vis-à-vis costs, it is way cheaper than gasoline.
Fuel Cell:
These came into picture when America launched moon programs. Before this, it was a concept that most preferred not to explore. Fuel cells use hydrogen and oxygen for their working. From one end, the stack gets filled with hydrogen while from the other, oxygen is let in. Catalysts or reaction enhancers present in the stack make sure that both the gases combine resulting in a reaction that produces electric current and water vapor. The generated current can then be used to provide power and propel engines. Because the by product is water, (can be broken into hydrogen and oxygen again), the fuel cells are also known as refillable batteries and hence can be used multiple times.
Lithium: Lithium, an element on the periodic table is the main constituent of two newly discovered forms of batteries namely Lithium Polymer and Lithium Ion. They have been used pretty extensively in rechargeable devices such as cellphones, music players, laptops etc. but these did not require energy levels that would be required to drive a car. These are batteries that have the capability of storing high density of energy but at the same time, they discharge very quickly. Further, they are expensive and installing large battery packs is not cost effective.
With knowledge about these items, you would sure find yourself to be in a better position while discussing Green Transport and Green Cars. In future, these entities are expected to play a huge role in slowly reducing dependency on gasoline. More alternate environment friendly and green fuels are expected to be discovered soon.