Alternative Fuels

Alternative car fuels are becoming more and more popular as the cost of fossil fuels skyrockets. Alternative fuels are any materials that can be used to power vehicles, such as green alternative fuelscars. Alternative fuel sources are continually being researched and developed to provide the alternative fuels for cars which are using up our natural oil reserves at an alarming rate.

Research is being carried out by countries all over the world to improve fuel economy and develop alternatives to fossil fuel, as it is a global problem.

Research and development on alternative power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world. There are many reasons for this, including heavy taxes on fuel, particularly in Europe; tightening environmental laws, particularly in California; the potential for peak oil, and the possibility of further restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions.

There are a number of different types of alternative fuels, these include:

* Biodiesel fuel
* Bioalcohol fuel
* Compressed air
* Hydrogen fuel
* Biogas fuel
* Vegetable oil fuelethanol & bio diesel
* Vegetable oil diesel
* Liquified petroleum gas (LPG)
* Petrodiesel
* Ethanol fuel
* Methane gas fuel

Biodiesel alternative fuel is made from vegetable oils or animal fats. They are usually blended (in a mix of 80% biodiesel to 20% petrodiesel) with regular diesel fuel to provide an alternative diesel fuel for use in regular Hybrid cars.

Bioalcohol fuels can also be used in current engines, but are still primarily in the research and development stage.

Compressed air can be used to fuel an emission-free piston engine, but as types of alternative fuels are concerned, this system has a long way to go before it could be classed as a gasoline alternative.

A great deal of research has been done on hydrogen powered cars. A hydrogen car, of course uses hydrogen as a fuel and this creates another problem. Cars that have hydrogen internal combustion engine are different to a hydrogen fuel cell car. The internal combustion version of the hydrogen powered car is a slightly modified version of a normal car with an internal combustion engine, and they burn hydrogen fuel in the same manner that petrol engines do. One of the problems is hydrogen fuel cells are fragile and very costly to produce.

An inexpensive hydrogen fuel cell that is robust enough to withstand the vibrations and bumps that all cars experience is currently being developed by engineers. A major concern with hydrogen fuel cells is the below freezing temperatures of 32F or 0C. If the fuel cell is not kept above 0 Celsius (32F) they have an internal vaporous water environment that could solidify. The fuel cell designs that are available at the moment are not robust enough to withstand the below freezing temperatures, and if frozen solid before start up they would not be able to begin working. Therefore, hydrogen fuel cell technology is not advanced enough as yet and hydrogen cars are currently not considered practical, as they are not yet efficient or cost effective to produce.

LP gas conversions are an excellent way of reducing your fuel expenses by up to 40% and you can have the choice of a duel fuel system if you wish. Lower emissions from your engine can result with an LPG car conversion helping to clean up the environment from excessive pollutants.