Alternative Fuels Research Progress

Fuel sources are absolutely essential for everyday life; without them civilization as we know it today could not exist. The vast majority of fuels we use today come from just three main sources: fossilized carbon, radioactive elements, and the sun. Of these three, the only long-term renewable source is the sun. Considering energy crises and pollution problems today, investigations have been concentrated on decreasing fuel consumption by using renewable alternative fuels and on lowering the concentration of toxic components in combustion products. Because there is still a need for an effective and reasonable alternative fuel, research in alternative fuels is still going strong. When analyzing the way we use and develop fuel sources, it’s helpful to utilize these four perspectives: Technological: Converting the energy in fuels into a more useful form requires a scientific and technological understanding of the processes involved. In order to utilize a fuel source research must be done and technologies must be developed. Understanding technological limitations is an important factor in the future of alternative fuels. Economical: Alternative fuel sources can not be developed with the money to fund such endeavors. Where will this money come from? Also, will the long-term, sustained use of alternative fuels be economically feasible? Political: Governmental policies must aid the development of alternative fuels. Policies that regulate harmful emissions can act as a driving force in the development of cleaner fuels. Policy change is historically very slow and resisted, and this factor has a major bearing on the development of alternative fuels. Social: The general populace is well-accustomed to our current fuel situation, and many are not aware of the environmental risks posed by maintaining current fuel sources. Social impetus is the largest driving factor for both policy change and scientific research; if no one cares about developing alternative fuel sources, it will not be done. This book is intended as a resource for both researchers and decision-makers, describing existing production methods and policies for alternative fuels and assessing options for their future development. I thank the work and commitment of all of the authors who submitted chapters according to our requests and dealt with our numerous comments.