Are alternative fuels easy to obtain?

Question

Hi. I'm doing a project on alternative fuels for my Science class, and since I'm in 8th grade, I really don't know much about them. I know what they are used for, but are they easy to obtain?

Answer 1

They are easy to obtain but not so easy to use. A permit to operate a facility on alternative fuels is much more difficult to obtain than conventional fuels, although regulations controlling the use also affect the availability.

Cement companies tend to be one of the biggest users and you may contact one if there is one near to you. The list of fuels is endless but include oils, RLF (recycled liquid fuels), Tires, Meat and Bone-meal, PSP (Sewage pellets)

Answer 2

Some like gasoline with 5% ethanol (or even a higher mixture) can be purchased at a lot of gas stations. Otherwise alternative fuels are not all that easy to obtain except for a few locations in large market areas.

First = cost, usually higher than current fuels

Second = low demand until more people want them

Third = availability, not too high yet due to limits for installation, storage, delivery system for the fuels.

Example of limitations are that a gas station may be regulated as to how many pumps and tanks they can have in a certain location. So to make a new fuel available, they have to lose another or reduce the size of tank for current available fuels to accomodate new fuel. Also what are the regulations like for these new fuels and the storage requirements?

Example of hard to store is hydrogen. Extremely explosive, even worse than gas so no one would be allowed on to a stations property with a cigarette going (I know you're not supposed to smoke at a station now, but how many do?).

Answer 3

It has recently been discovered that hydrogen can be release from saltwater by exposing it to radio waves. Therefore, we have an almost unlimited supply of saltwater, that can be tapped to cheaply produce hydrogen, which can be used as an alternative fuel for many things. Hydrogen fuel cells for automotive applications is likely the main target, but hydrogen can be utilized for much more. Other alternative fuels are much more costly to produce, such as solar and wind, and are not consistant power generators.

Answer 4

If alternative fuels were easy to obtain, they would cost less than gasoline and everyone would be using them.....so your answer is no, they are not easy to obtain.