Alternative Fuel Sources for Motor Cars
A number of alternative fuels are available to the typical car owner, including ethanol, compressed natural gas, and hydrogen. Some alternative fuels require engine conversion.
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Ethanol
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Ethanol has been around for several years, and the raw material for the fuel is primarily synthesized from corn alcohol. Creation of the fuel leverages the same process that moonshiners used during prohibition.
Compressed Natural Gas
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Compressed natural gas (CNG) is acquired by drilling into various fossil-fuel pockets deep underground. The final product is primarily methane, in addition to chemical by-products such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide.
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Liquified Petroleum Gas
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Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is a synthesized fuel, primarily based on crude petroleum derived from mineral fossil-fuel carbon and hydrocarbon resources. The production process is either extracted directly from the crude oil refining process as a by-product, or directly from gas streams during mining.
Hydrogen
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The synthesis of hydrogen is a two-step process: the first step utilizes what is called steam reforming while the second step is called water-gas shift reaction. At the end of the process, the producer is left with hydrogen gas.
Water
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As previously mentioned, water is a primary component in the creation of hydrogen. In the case of using the liquid as a derivative for creating homemade alternative fuels, reasonably priced commercial kits are available that use water as a baseline solution. These kits leverage an electrolytic process that transposes water's carbon matrix to create small quantities of hydrogen that extends fuel mileage, by burning this "free gas" in conjunction with regular auto gas.
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