ALTERNATIVE FUEL

The U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE) defines an alternative fuel
as a product that is substantially
nonpetroleum which yields energy
security and environmental
benefits.
 The Energy Policy Act of 1993
(EPAct) DOE currently recognizes
the following as alternative fuels:

• Mixtures containing 85% or

more by volume of alcohol fuel,
including methanol and
denatured ethanol
• Natural gas (compressed or
liquefied)
• Liquefied petroleum gas
(propane)
• Hydrogen
• Coal-derived liquid fuels
• Fuels derived from biological
materials
• Electricity (including electricity
from solar energy)
• 100% Biodiesel (B100)
Pure biodiesel (B100) is considered
an alternative fuel under EPAct. But
lower-level biodiesel blends are not
considered alternative fuels
What are the characteristics of alternative fuels?
Primary Main Liquid
Components Fuel or
Source Gas
Biodiesel Vegetable oil, Soybean oil Liquid
animal fats, or
recycled restaurant grease
Compressed Methane Under- Gas
Natural Gas ground
(CNG) reserves
Ethanol (E85) Denatured Corn, grains, or Liquid
ethanol and agricultural
gasoline waste
Liquefied Methane that Underground Liquid
Natural Gas is cooled reserves
(LNG) cryogenically
Liquefied Propane A by-product of Liquid
Petroleum petroleum
Gas (LPG) refining or
natural gas
processing
Methanol Methanol and Natural gas, Liquid
(M85) gasoline coal, or woody
biomass
 ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
Compressed
Natural
Biodiesel(B20) Gas(CNG) Electricity Ethanol(E85)
Any vehicle that Many types of Neighborhood Light-duty vehicles,
runs on diesel today- vehicle classes. electric vehicles, medium and heavy-
no modifications are bicycles, light-duty duty trucks and
needed for up to 5% vehicles, medium buses - these vehicles
blends. Many and heavy-duty are flexible fuel
engines also trucks and buses. vehicles that can be
compatible with up fueled with E85
to 20% blends. (ethanol), gasoline,
or any combination
of the two fuels.
 ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
Liquified Natural Gas Liquified Petroleum
Methanol (M85)
(LNG) Gas (LPG)
Hydrogen
No vehicles are Medium and heavy-duty Light-duty vehicles, Mostly Heavy-
available for trucks and buses. which can be fueled duty buses are
commercial sale with propane or available.
yet, but some gasoline, medium and
vehicles are being heavy-duty trucks and
leased for buses that run on
demonstration propane.
purposes.
 Ethanol
Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel
produced by fermenting and distilling starch
crops that have been converted into simple
sugars. Feedstocks for this fuel include
corn, barley, and wheat.
Ethanol can also be
produced from
"cellulosic
biomass" such as
trees and grasses
and is called
bioethanol. Ethanol
is most commonly
used to increase
octane and improve
the emissions
quality of gasoline.
 Natural Gas

Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly

methane, and is produced either from gas wells or in
conjunction with crude oil production. Natural gas
is consumed in the residential, commercial,
industrial, and utility markets.

Natural gas can either be stored onboard a vehicle

as compressed natural gas (CNG) or as liquefied
natural gas (LNG). Natural gas can also be blended
with hydrogen.
 Natural Gas

The future holds great potential for natural

gas because it can potentially be used in
fuel cell vehicles to make hydrogen.

Researchers found that fuel cell vehicles

using hydrogen produced from natural gas
could present an attractive solution for
cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
 Propane

Propane or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is

a popular alternative fuel choice for
vehicles. Propane is produced as a by-
product of natural gas processing and
petroleum refining so there is already an
infrastructure of pipelines, processing
facilities, and storage for its efficient
distribution.
 Hydrogen

The simplest and lightest fuel is hydrogen

gas. Hydrogen may contain low levels of
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide,
depending on the source.
 Hydrogen
Hydrogen can be produced using diverse,
domestic resources including fossil fuels,
such as natural gas and coal, nuclear; and
biomass and other renewable energy
technologies, such as wind, solar,
geothermal, and hydro-electric power.
 Hydrogen
Hydrogen will play an important role in
developing sustainable transportation in the
United States, because in the future it may
be produced in virtually unlimited
quantities using renewable resources.
 Hydrogen
Hydrogen is being explored for use in
combustion engines and fuel cell electric
vehicles. The energy density of hydrogen is
very low under ambient conditions which
presents greater transportation and storage
hurdles than for liquid fuels. Storage
systems are being developed to address
these problems.
 HCNG

DOE's Natural Gas Vehicle Technology is

supporting a project to develop heavy-duty
HCNG engines and transit buses. The
HCNG (20% hydrogen / 80% CNG)
engines demonstrated lower emissions than
similar engines fueled by CNG alone. This
blend provided no significant change in fuel
efficiency.
 Electricity
Trucks with a
hybrid-electric
powertrain combine
a diesel engine and
electric motor to
drive the vehicle.
 Electricity
Batteries capture and
store energy
providing a source of
stored electric power
for the motor during
future acceleration.
All electrical
charging of the Electricity
battery is provided
by the hybrid electric
powertrain, and no
external electrical
infrastructure, such
as a power cord or
electrical outlet, is
needed.
The balance between
conventional and Electricity
electric technology is
an innovative method
to improve
environmental
performance and
decrease fuel use while
eliminating the need
for high electrical-
demand infrastructure
costs.
Methanol is
produced from
natural gas in Methanol
production plants
with 60% total
energy efficiency.
Methanol can be
made with any
renewable resource
containing carbon
such as seaweed,
waste wood and
garbage.
Methanol offers the Methanol
greatest hope for
early and broad
introduction of fuel
cells that will make
Electric Vehicles
practical within the
next few years.
Whether reformed to
provide hydrogen for
conventional fuel cells Methanol
or used directly in the
latest liquid fed cells,
methanol will
overcome the greatest
remaining obstacle to
commercialization, by
offering the only
economical way to
transport and store the
hydrogen needed for
fuel cells.
Methanol fuel cells
will greatly reduce Methanol
carbon dioxide
emissions for
vehicles and
virtually eliminate
smog and
particulate
pollution.
 Biodiesel
Biodiesel contains no petroleum,
but it can be blended at any level
with petroleum diesel to create a
biodiesel blend. It can be used in
compression-ignition (diesel)
engines with little or no
modifications.
 Biodiesel
Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel or
blended with petroleum in any
percentage. B20 (a blend of 20 percent
by volume biodiesel with 80 percent by
volume petroleum diesel) has
demonstrated significant environmental
benefits.
 Biodiesel

Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel

additive with the EPA and meets clean
diesel standards established by the
California Air Resources Board (CARB).
Neat (100 percent) biodiesel has been
designated as an alternative fuel by the
Department of Energy (DOE) and the US
Department of Transportation (DOT).
 Biodiesel
The National Biodiesel Board has released the
following sales volume estimates for the US:

2005 -- 75 million gallons

2004 -- 25 million gallons
2003 -- 20 million gallons
2002 -- 15 million gallons
2001 -- 5 million gallons
2000 -- 2 million gallons
1999 -- 500,000 gallons
 PROBLEMS
ASSOCIATED WITH
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
How to
convert
gases to
gallons for
tax
calculations?
Will taxing
model have
to be
modified in
the future?
Difference in
definitions?
For example,
EPA says B100
is alternative
fuel, but a
blend is not.
How to
measure
electricity,
solar power,
and wind
power?
 OPTIONS

Use Department
of Energy’s
Gasoline Gallon
Equivalent.
A gasoline gallon equivalent
(GGE) is the amount of fuel
required to equal the energy
content of one liquid gallon of
gasoline. A GGE is a way of
comparing equivalent volumes
of fuel based on the energy
content in British thermal units
(Btu).
 OPTIONS

Jurisdictions
could assign
set MPGs
 Resources

U.S. Department of Energy – Energy and

Efficiency and Renewable Energy
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/altfuels.html

National Biodiesel Board

http://www.biodiesel.org
American Coalition for Ethanol
http://www.ethanol.org/

American Hydrogen Association

http://www.clean-air.org/