Increasing emerging
economies has resulted in an increase in energy demand, and thus a look into
the Biofuel. Factors such as oil prices, global warming, and explorative access
issues has spurred the development of biofuels.

Biofuels are carbon
neutralizers but issues and challenges such as Fuel vs. Food debate,
life-cycle-environmental impact of biofuels [1] raises question marks over its
development and sustainability to substitute fossil fuels.

Feedstocks for biofuel
production are mainly food crops and their utilization will lead to high demand
and scarcity, thus leading to inflation. The vast land also required to
cultivate this crop is also an issue of concern, this destroys the rain forest,
exposes land to erosion, air pollution due to increased application of
fertilizer which releases greenhouse gas N2O, pest
control. All of these possess safety concern to human lives and the environment

Sources:

[1] Society of Petroleum
Engineers Biofuels (SPE 140626): Green energy for the century?

The biggest safety issue concerning biofuels is the fact that they are not commercially available and require users to synthesise their own. While a governed, controlled processing plant would be able to take care to ensure worker safety is kept at a paramount, "bathtub brewers" risk cutting corners, falling victim to misinformation or otherwise introducing errors and hazards into the production process.

Allowing small to medium scale processing of waste fluids into biofuels would allow for the process to be controlled and regulated while still allowing users to benefit financially from its use.

Another safety concern with biofuel is its tendency to turn to gel at low temperatures which may cause it to be unreliable and unsafe in colder climates like Norway or Canada[1].

Andy Reid

[1] http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs103.pdf

By virtue of my previous report prepared for the course of Energy Technology, I have become aware that Biofuel are divided into three main methods.
1) Bioethanol
2) Biogas
3) Biodiesel
Biodiesel is supplied through transesterification process (Cerce, 2005). Combination of vegetable and also animal oil between alcohol in presence of catalyst cause making pure biodiesel. In order to be more efficient and also being utilized for commercial usage, biodiesel might be mixed with petroleum. Biodiesel is illustrated like B - - for industrial format. The blanks are filled with numbers represented the percentage of petroleum blended with biodiesel. For instance, B50 explains that fifty percent of biodiesel is contained petroleum (Casady and Schumacher, 1991). Thus, it will be harmful for humanity and also it has environmental impact. Skin disorder, respiratory cancer, leukemia, global warming and depleting ozone layer are prominent contributing factors as undesired consequences of petroleum based biodiesel. Albeit, it has less damage in comparison between fossil fuels, it should be considered (Sheehan et al, 1998).
I believe in, it would be pity to destroy our planet in order to fit our organization in a business market. So, Dear energy organizations, could you please stop ruining the Earth and its atmosphere.

REFERENCES:
1)CASADY, W. & SCHUMACHER, L. 1991. Biodiesel Blends for Fueling Diesel Engines [Online]. Available: http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/agengin/g01991.pdf [Accessed 25/11 2012].
2)CERCE, T., PETER, S. & WEIDNER, E. 2005. Biodiesel-Transesterification of Biological Oils with LiquidCatalysts: Thermodynamic Properties of Oil-Methanol-AmineMixtures [Online]. Available: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/ie050252e [Accessed 25/11 2012].
3)SHEEHAN, J., CAMOBRECO, V., DUFFIELD, J., GRABOSKI, M. & SHAPOURI, H. 1998. An Overview of Biodiesel andPetroleum Diesel Life Cycles [Online]. Available: http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/npbf/pdfs/24772.pdf [Accessed 25/11 2012].

As previous posts such as Abiaziem Davidson’s post have
highlighted transport poses a problem for biofuels. Distributing and dispensing
the biofuels is expensive and risky due to the chemical properties of
individual fuels. Many of the fuels have to be distributed in gaseous form and
this is expensive and can only be done on a large scale if it is to be cost
effective. Another worrying safety factor was in a case study where the effects
of biofuel smoke exposure was found to be associated with anemia in children.
As more and more developing countries are relying on biofuels, this calls for
further investigations into how biofuel inhalation can be reduced. (Kyu,
Georgiades et al. 2010, Hamelinck, Faaij 2006)

HAMELINCK, C.N. and FAAIJ, A.P.C., 2006. Outlook for advanced biofuels. Energy
Policy, 34(17), pp. 3268-3283.

KYU, H.H., GEORGIADES, K. and BOYLE, M.H., 2010. Biofuel Smoke and Child
Anemia in 29 Developing Countries: A Multilevel Analysis. Annals of
Epidemiology, 20(11), pp. 811-817.

Incident Cause and impact
American Bio fuels incident in 2006: Small methanol spillage resulting in Huge fire through an entire building
Sun Break Bio fuels, 2006: A major fire resulted when a small fire melted plastic biodiesel storage tanks
Blue Sky Biodiesel, 2006: Fire started during installation of vent tube in an existing tank
Agri Biofuels Dayton, 2007: A fire occurred due to methanol spillage
Better Biodiesel Spanish, 2007 Fire occurring due to mechanical malfunction of a methanol transfer line
Farmers & Truckers Biodiesel, 2007 A welder installing a flow line on a tank died following an explosion
Foothills Biodiesel Lenoir, 2007 Feedstock tanks destroyed by fire two days after they were shut down.

American Ag Fuels Defiance, 2008 An explosion occurred when workers left a manhole cover off a glycerin storage tank.
Green Light Biofuels Princess, 2008 An explosion occurred when a methane line was being added to the plant. Killed one and severely injured another
Biofuels of Tennessee Decaturville, 2008 A fire occurred in a plant four months after abandonment. No cause has been discovered till date

All American Biodiesel York, 2008 An entire processing building destroyed by fire.
GreenHunter Biofuels Houston, 2009 Mechanical seal failure which resulted in a fire
Minnesota Soy Bean Processors Brewster, 2009 Fire resulting in explosions destroying numerous tanks

Midwest Biorenewables Toledo, 2009 Safety valve failure which resulted in a fire destroying two production lines
Columbus Foods Company Chicago, 2009 Two works critically injured whilst handling chemicals
New Eden Energy, 2009 Multiple explosions arising from chemical vessels destroying an entire building and numerous equipment

Xenerga Biodiesel, 2009 Explosion in a storage reactor severely injuring one worker.
Imperium Renewables, 2009 Explosion occurred in a glycerine tank destroying the equipment.

Although, this brief history records of incidents till 2009 only, it is clear to see that bio fuel plants require extreme care even when they are not in operation.
References:
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/4055/biodiesel-plant-safety/
Kuma Mede
51126022

I agree with you Aavis, I have concerns about producing Biofuels in vast quantities. I fear that if crops were to be grown for the soul purpose of fuel, the first things we would lose would be important nature reserves such as rainforests as room would be needed to grow the crops. This would completely destroy the planet. I study the module human factors and an interesting topic we discussed was the success ad failure of many previous societies gone by. The conclusion was that many of these societies died out as they had destroyed the very habitat that they were living in.

Biodiesel is a common type of bio fuel and to date; its production has the highest accident rate relative to the production of other bio fuels. Reading through various articles, this is the case failure of manufacturers and operators to adhere to good manufacturing practices. The most common problems with biodiesel production have been identified as follows:
 Methanol - methanol and the catalyst used for production pose the largest safety hazards. Methanol being a highly flammable substance with explosive vapours over a wide range of concentrations. Furthermore, because it is heavier than air, it has the tendency to accumulate in low areas of the plant. To mitigate risks posed by methanol, it is important that indoor production units are properly ventilated. In addition, it is paramount no spark generating electrical or mechanical components are allowed in the area. Equipment selection and installations should also ensure that materials used are of the highest reliabilities in order to mitigate the risk of mechanical failure.
 Failures in pump seal, hose, and even lack of proper instrumentation connections has resulted in methanol leaks to the operating area. In addition to ensuring high reliabilities of components, personnel should be properly trained to make regular checks for such mechanical incompetencies.
 Spill containment is also a potential problem in operating biodiesel plants. In addition to following legislative guidelines, it is important to frequently check that hazardous materials are not leaking and accumulating. Hose connections tend to be bypassed during routine checks however, it is important they are also checked ensuring no spillage is occurring.

References:
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/4055/biodiesel-plant-safety/
Kuma Mede
51126022

I have to say that I am very much sceptical about Bio-fuels. Except for bio fuels that are produced from waste materials and algae, I believe that bio fuel requires people to trade in their water and food to get energy. Some people debate that if bio fuels are not produced from crops we should not care. I however disagree, with the famines that human beings are facing in certain parts of the world; it is definitely more valuable to plant crops for food instead of planting non-crop plants for bio-fuels.

I am however more open to accept the use of algae to develop the bio fuel. However several concerns pertain to the production of bio fuel from algae and they are as follows:

•It consumes a lot of water (about 3.15 to 3.65 litres of water to produce 1 litre of bio fuel).

•It consumes a lot of Nitrogen and phosphorus based fertilizers which can in excess pollute natural waterways.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=algal-biofuel-sustainab...

Even though biofuel maybe produced from non-food crops, those crops still require agricultural land which could lead to further deforestation. In my opinion, it seems like a bad idea to pit a country or a community’s need for food against their need for energy. The policy makers, who are usually better off than the general population, will generally opt for energy. Haiti is a glaring example of a community that chose fuel over food. With the world’s population growing exponentially, is Haiti simply foreshadowing the fate of the planet? Biofuel may have its place in the world’s energy solution. However, I personally hope it plays a rather small role until we have more viable solutions to world hunger.

Biofuel has many advantages over conventional fossil fuels like
being cheaper than conventional fossil fuels and also being a renewable form of
energy. But it also has some disadvantages like:

·
The energy output from bio fuel
is much lower than that of the conventional fossil fuels. So greater quantity
of bio-fuel has to be consumed for the same energy output compared to fossil
fuels.

·
Biofuel burns cleaner than
conventional fossil fuel but the amount of carbon emission but the process to
produce the fuel results in carbon emission.

·
With increase in demand for
fossil fuel, the prices of the food products used for producing biofuel will
also increase.

Hence it is important to access both the pros and cons for biofuels to
be established as a replacement for fossil fuels.

Rohit C Nair
Subsea Engineering
Student id- 51231896

Bio-fuel is a form of alternative fuel that can be generated from plant materials like maize, vegetable oil, organic solid waste called biomass, natural gas and a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. It has low carbon emissions compared to conventional fuel (oil, gas or coal). The production of bio-fuels requires various activities that pose certain forms of risk to humans and the environment. Such problems are (1):

•Deforestation – Land conversion for the growth of bio-fuels crops leads to loss of habitat, depletion of the soil content and result in a decrease in the biodiversity of our ecosystem.
•Agricultural risk (food shortage) – farmers now focus on the production of plants used for bio-fuels, this has resulted in shortage of certain crops like maize, wheat etc, and an increase in the price of crops that serve as supplements
•Water pollution – the use of chemical for agricultural purposes can pollute water lines and kill aquatic animals
•Air pollution - when bio-fuels are used for cooking, it gives rise to indoor air pollution that poses danger to our health because the emissions from bio-fuel contains carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide etc. In a place like India, it has been a major cause of respiratory diseases, lung cancer, morbidity and mortality. (2).

From study, a degree of carbon emission can be generated if fossil fuels are used for the transportation and refining of crops. This can be avoided if a renewable form of energy with low carbon foot print is used.

Reference
[1] Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels Available at: http://www.agrabiofuels.com/advantagesanddisadvantagesofbiofuels.html. Accessed 10/4/2012, 2012.

[2] JSTOR: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 38, No. 26 (Jun. 28 - Jul. 4, 2003), pp. 2681-2692 Available at: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4413730?uid=17496&uid=3738032&uid=.... Accessed 10/4/2012, 2012.

Growing crops to make biofuels results in vast amounts of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and does nothing to stop climate change or global warming, according to the first thorough scientific audit of a biofuel's carbon budget.
Scientists have produced damning evidence to suggest that biofuels could be one of the biggest environmental con-tricks because they actually make global warming worse by adding to the man-made emissions of carbon dioxide that they are supposed to curb. Two separate studies published in the journal Science show that a range of biofuel crops now being grown to produce "green" alternatives to oil-based fossil fuels release far more carbon dioxide into the air than can be absorbed by the growing plants. [2]
The scientists found that, in the case of some crops, it would take several centuries of growing them to pay off the carbon debt caused by their initial cultivation. Those environmental costs do not take into account any extra destruction to the environment, for instance the loss of biodiversity caused by clearing tracts of pristine rainforest. All the biofuels we use now cause habitat destruction, either directly or indirectly. Global agriculture is already producing food for six billion people. Producing food-based biofuel, too, will require that still more land be converted to agriculture. [2]
In conclusion, the safety procedure in biofuel should be revisited and addendum to existing regulations and standards.
1. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/biofuels-make-climate-change-worse-scientific-study-concludes-779811.html

There are several aspects of biodiesel production that requires a proper safety measures and environmentally good practice. These include:

• Taking proper precautions in storage, process safety, handling, ventilation and use of hazardous chemical which could cause harm or serious risk to operators or on the environment.
• Using approved practises to ensure environmental safety through the disposal of glycerol by-product and waste water generated from biodiesel production.
• Operators should ensure proper storage and production of biodiesel to circumvent costly engine problems or excessive emissions during use.

With these safety measures, it is however, important to ensure a best management practices in order to protect the health and safety of the producer and the environment and to reduce the risk of vehicle/machinery problems [1]. More so, the production process can be dangerous as methanol can turn plants to be vulnerable to fire and explosion if not properly engineered and operated [2]. So, proper safety precautions should be taking into consideration to avoid this from occurring.

References

[1] http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs103.pdf
[2] http://www.aidic.it/CISAP4/webpapers/106Salzano.pdf

With all-time rise in fuel prices and fewer alternative fuel sources for transportation, several countries are now rapidly supporting the production of liquid biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) [1]. However, the production and use of biofuels has given rise to a number of concern and wide debate in the economic, environmental, social and technical impacts relating to biofuels. These takes account of: carbon emissions, effects of moderating oil prices, impact of water resources, debate on food verse fuel, poverty reduction potential, loss of biodiversity, deforestation and soil erosion, and energy balance and efficiency. All these factors can be of advantage or disadvantage in the production and use of biofuels. But, with the development of new biofuel crops and second generation biofuels it hopes to reduce some of the issues discussed above [2]. Hence, developing new biofuel crops that uses less land and fewer resources such as water, for biofuel crop like algae. As a renewable source, it could help to reduce climate change and the over dependence on oil in the transport sector. They can also stimulate rural growth and farm income through large agricultural production [1].

References

[1] http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2008/Resources/2795087-11921123...

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel

Biofuel is environmentally friendly and renewable source of energy. It has lower carbon emissions as compared to fossil sources of energy such as diesel and also come with high energetic efficiency.
Like any other energy forms, the production process of Biofuels can be very dangerous. Examples are methanol and other flammable reactants such as sodium methylate can make the production plants very susceptible to fire and explosion if not properly engineered and operated.
There are numerous examples of accidents occurring in Biofuel process plants in the USA. From the year 2006 to 2009, there were accidents involving 8 fires and 6 explosions and in most cases there were total destruction of the plants involved. It should be clarified that, there has not been a single accident in Europe for the Biofuel industry with over 65 operating plants as of 2006.
Thus, the argument could be made that the energy from Biofuel is safe but the production processes is totally unsafe.

Reference
www.aidic.it/CISAP4/webpapers/106Salzano.pd

Biofuel is considered as a possible alternate source of regular petroleum. There are concerns about safety issues. Biofuel plants are known to discharge oily product into rivers and waterways in local communities.This is not harmful to humans, its is harmful to birds and fish. The glycerin and oil in the mix can deplete oxygen from the body of water and kill the fish and is toxic to birds when it is ingested. Natural risk could result as a production of biofuel. Farmers are subjected to extreme weather condition such as drought or floods which also affects the crops.

Measures should be put in place to mitigate their effect through Insurance mechanisms.

Samuel Kanu

Msc Subsea Engineering

Biofuel is the fuel that is produced when biodegradable materials such as biomass, sewage, agricultural wastes and food wastes are digested by anaerobic bacteria in an anaerobic environment.

The main components of biofuel are methane 55-70% by volume and carbon dioxide 30-45% by volume the trace components include nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and siloxanes.

Challenges

Upgrading biofuel may cause it to lose its green benefit as energy is consumed in the process.

Producing biofuel might have a negative impact on food security and increase the risk of explosion in the plant.

It produces dirty smell.

In conclusion, biofuel is a versatile source of renewable energy that can be produced from a wide range of raw materials. To mitigate food shortage caused by the use of food crops to generate bioenergy, I would recommend the growing of crops as this will ensure that the raw materials used for this technology are bountiful. This will promote food security and energy yield.

Biofuels are a category of fuel resulting from organic matter. It is generally described as biomass produced by living organisms i.e. plants and animals. Biofuels can as well be represented as alternates for fossil fuel sourced mostly from a range of agricultural and energy crops, forests and waste streams.
There are diverse ways of using of biofuels; unrefined biomass can be used to create electricity via steam turbines and gasifiers, or heat by directly combusting the raw material. Biomass can as well be converted to bioliquids and used as fuels for transport, as in bioethanol and biodiesel. Lastly, biomass can be converted to an energy-rich gas for boilers usage and gas turbines to create heat and electricity, used in gas-fuelled transport as compressed biomethane (CBM).
There are a number of technical/safety problems related with biofuels, most of which are around the quantity of energy used in the farming and cultivation phases of the feedstocks, and the quantity of energy (in terms of fossil fuels) used to transport and change the feedstocks into the final biofuel product. These fossil fuels used in process of producing biofuel causes serious pollution to the environment as hydrocarbons are release to the atmosphere.

Reference
1. http://www.igem.org.uk/technical-standards/research/biofuels/introductio....

Biodiesel is a synthetic fuel made of vegetable oil treated with chemical. It is produced by mixing methanol with sodium hydroxide and adding it to vegetable oil. This is a hazards process. This process involves risk of fire and of hazards chemical. The hazardous chemicals used in biodiesel are sodium hydroxide and methanol. Sodium hydroxide is a corrosive, it causes burning to unprotected skin and damage eyes. A fine mist of liquid droplets is produced while stirring and this will damage the throat lining and digestive system. It can also create respiratory irritation and breathlessness. Methanol is a toxic substance that causes nausea, dizziness and blindness. It can also cause threat to the central nervous system and to other vital organs. Methanol is a highly flammable substance which can cause fire in the presence of a potential ignition source. Wrong mixing of chemical can cause violent chemical reaction that increases the risk. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/biodiesel.htm

Although biofuels
have many advantages, there is still a significant dilemma for bioenergy that
bioenergy development might cause the shortage of food and land. The experts of Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations warned on 23rd January, 2008, the
pushy development and utilization of bioenergy is leading to rising in the price
of corn and other food crops and possibly results in further deterioration of
water resource shortage and people in poverty losing the land they rely for
existence. And in the meantime, there is large water consumption for agriculture
which could use 70% of the total water resource. Bioenergy development aims at reducing
the usage of nonrenewable resources such as petroleum or coal, but in the
meantime, the consumption of water, electricity and crude oil is tremendous in
the process of bioenergy production and transportation.

As we all know no energy source comes without its safety concerns. Biofuels can greatly reduce the over dependence on fossil fuel as such mitigating the effect of climate change. This goal definitely comes with its own downside. Biofuels are produced from organic matter such as plants, animal fats, algae, organic waste etc.

These sources can offer new market for agricultural producers and can even stimulate rural growth with increased income but this definitely has its downside. A study suggests that the amount of maize required to produce 100litres of bioethanol can feed one person in a year. It has been criticised for diverting food away from the human food chain to the engine.

Biofuel is said to offer about 20-70% reduction in greenhouse gases emission but Noble Laureate, Paul Crutzen pointed out that some biofuels produce more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels they replace. A quick summary of the concerns of biofuel are:

1. Food vs. fuel

2. Carbon emission levels

3. Deforestation

4. Soil erosion

5. Loss of biodiversity

References:

1. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2008/Resources/2795087-11921123...

2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6294133.stm

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel

OKEKE FRANCIS N.

OIL AND GAS ENGINEERING

The safety of biofuel

Recently, the US researchers discovered that the incomplete burned ethanol may transform into the ether easily because of the unique characteristic it has. It may have the potentially hazardous to human health. The bio-fuel emission is doubted again.

Because of the different raw materials and technologies, bio-fuel can be device into 4 generations. The first 3 generations are made from corn, sweet potato, grass, wheat straw or wood. The 4th generation of biofuels uses metabolic engineering technology to transform algae metabolic pathways, making it directly synthetic ethanol by absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.

Also, the harmful emission during the produce of biofuel is always the centre point of controversy.

For these problems of biofuels, the major countries of the world focus on some aspects such as raw materials, processes and the way of using biofuels etc… to enhance the quality of biological materials.

Reference:

"ADM Biodiesel: Hamburg, Leer, Mainz". Biodiesel.de. http://www.biodiesel.de/. Retrieved 2010-07-14.

Evans, G. "Liquid Transport Biofuels - Technology Status Report", National Non-Food Crops Centre, 2008-04-14. Retrieved on 2009-05-11.

Zhang Yanan ID: 51233945

MSC IN OIL AND GAS ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN

Bio-fuel refers to the biomass composition or extraction of solid, liquid or gas fuel. Moreover, it can replace the gasoline and diesel which are refined from oil. Bio-fuel is the renewable energy that utilized in most important direction. The so-called biomass is refers to the use of the atmosphere, water, land and through photosynthesis to produce a variety of organisms.
In order to produce bio-fuels, many land changed to farmland, furthermore, the development of new farmland will damage to the ecosystem. The wide use of bio-fuels also causes high food prices, and threaten the survival of poverty. To manufacture and transport bio-fuel will lead to pollution, carbon dioxide emissions and using water resources, chemical fertilizer. If we can produce and use the bio-fuel in the same place, this action can address these issues, but even if in the same location, biomass fuel may still is not worthy on environmental protection. In addition, some research shows that, to manufacture corn alcohol need energy more than corn alcohol can provide energy.
However, tung oil tree can be used to produce bio-fuel, these plants can grow in wasteland which is not suitable for food crops. This kind of plant almost does not need to fertilized while its seed also does not edible which will not affect the food production.
To use the waste oil to produce bio-diesel will not influence food source and it is considered to be the real worthy of popularizing in bio-fuel, but waste oil contains many useless materials, which will result in production problems.

Bio-fuel refers to the biomass composition or extraction of solid, liquid or gas fuel. Moreover, it can replace the gasoline and diesel which are refined from oil. Bio-fuel is the renewable energy that utilized in most important direction. The so-called biomass is refers to the use of the atmosphere, water, land and through photosynthesis to produce a variety of organisms.
In order to produce bio-fuels, many land changed to farmland, furthermore, the development of new farmland will damage to the ecosystem. The wide use of bio-fuels also causes high food prices, and threaten the survival of poverty. To manufacture and transport bio-fuel will lead to pollution, carbon dioxide emissions and using water resources, chemical fertilizer. If we can produce and use the bio-fuel in the same place, this action can address these issues, but even if in the same location, biomass fuel may still is not worthy on environmental protection. In addition, some research shows that, to manufacture corn alcohol need energy more than corn alcohol can provide energy.
However, tung oil tree can be used to produce bio-fuel, these plants can grow in wasteland which is not suitable for food crops. This kind of plant almost does not need to fertilized while its seed also does not edible which will not affect the food production.
To use the waste oil to produce bio-diesel will not influence food source and it is considered to be the real worthy of popularizing in bio-fuel, but waste oil contains many useless materials, which will result in production problems.

Biofuels is one of the fast growing part of the energy sector and are produced from renewables such as grains, plant biomass, animal fat, vegetable oil and treated municipal & industrial wastes.

There are basically two main types of biofuels being produced and they are; Ethanol and Biodiesel.

Ethanol - is an alcohol fuel produced from the sugars found in grains such as corn, barley, sorghum, rice, sugarcane and potato skins. The production process involves hazardous materials such as acids bases and gasoline; making ethanol a flammable liquid that ignites at ordinary temperatures.

Biodiesel - is a fuel made from vegetable oil, animal fats or greases. It is combustile and readily burns when heated. The production process involves reacting the organic material e.g vegetable oil with an alcohol mainly methanol using a strong base catalyst known as a caustic. A by-product (glycerine) is then produced.

All of these materials used in the production of biofuels are hazardous and require careful attention/management to protect workers and the environment.

Potential hazards and controls in the production and handling of biofuels include:

A. Fire and explosion - workers producing biofuels are exposed to potential fire and explosion hazards. Safety precautions should be taken to prevent this hazard by preventing releases, avoiding ignition of spills and having appropriate fire protection system and emergency response precedures.

B. Toxicity hazards in biofuel manufacturing - biofuels and their manufacturing chemicals present toxic exposure hazards to workers and these hazards needs to be carefully controlled. A good ventilation and drainage system is required to reduce exposures and personal protective equipment should be used when necessary.

C. Chemical reactivity hazards in biofuel - Chemicals used in biofuel production e.g acids and bases may react vigorously with many materials. Glycerine, a by-product produced from the manufacture of biodiesel is often treate with acid and needs to be properly controlled. Failure to carefully control potential dangerous chemical reactions may lead to rupture of equipment, explosions, fires and exposure to hazardous chemicals. These can be avoided by controlling the rate and order of chemical addition, providing robust cooling and the use of detailed operation directions.

REFERENCES

http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=biofuel_home-basics

http://www.osha.gov/dep/greenjobs/biofuels.html

As I have read a publication online, I have known some disadvantages of the biofuel which may result in safety issues.Biodiesel is aclean, renewable fuel that can be made from various biomass oil feedstocks such as waste vegetable oil, yellow

grease, animal fats, and virgin vegetable oils. However, it needs high attention on its production and storage. Firstly, some chemicals are used for production which could cause serious risks to the operators unless the proper cautions on it. Secondly, since it needs glycerol and wasted water and its disposal exists harmful effects to the environment. Finally, it has a high-level demand of operation which means people need to pay attention on its production ,transport and quality.

What's more, a lot of people show their doubt about the biofuel's efficiency.

In that case, we need to consider about the safety issues of biofuel and also pay attention to the ways which can improve its efficiency.

Regards,

Tianchi You

51233959

Oil&Gas engineering

Bio-fuel is considered by many as a clean source of energy
and I concur to that. It has very little greenhouse gases emissions and
somewhat environmentally friendly. Just as other fossil fuels and every other
energy source; it has some inherent safety concerns which are worth mentioning
and suitable for further consideration.

Chemical exposure and
safety: The conversion of the biological materials to vegetable oil and bio-diesel
require the use of methanol (a flammable toxic alcohol) and lye (a corrosive
caustic base). These two chemicals are hazardous and can pose several health
dangers. Overexposure to methanol can cause neurological damage and other health
problems; and it presents a serious fire risk. Lye can cause skin and lung
irritation.

Handling of
by-products: The processing of bio-diesel produces a substantial amount of
crude glycerol. Other processing plants also use water for fuel purification,
and may generate as much as three gallons of waste water for each gallon of
fuel produced. Both glycerol and waste water require handling and disposal consideration
as improper disposal will adversely affect human life and the environment.

The growth of the bio-fuel industry (growth of plant capacity)
has increased the hazards of biodiesel production and the consequences of
accidental scenarios, due to the increased complexity of plants, the number and
dimension of equipments and the larger inventory of chemicals.

Rigorous precautions are necessary to avoid personal
poisoning, fire, and contamination of soil and water resources. Process safety
and handling of by-products should be well regulated to ensure enhanced safety in
the bio-fuel industry.

References

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs103.pdf

http://www.aidic.it/CISAP4/webpapers/106Salzano.pdf

I agree with you on the potential use of algae for bio-fuels
and the pace at which it is being developed. Algae fuel or algal bio-fuel is an
alternative to fossils fuels that use algae as its natural deposit. Several
companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and
operating costs and make algae fuel production commercially viable. The increase
in oil prices, the competition between food sources and other bio-fuel sources
and the world’s energy and food crisis have ignited interest in algaculture
(farming algae) for making vegetable oil, biodiesel, bioethanol, biogasoline,
biomethanol, biobutanol and other biofuels, using land that is not suitable for
agriculture. Algae fuel can be grown with minimal impact on fresh water
resources, can be produced using ocean and wastewater, and are biodegradable
and relatively harmless to the environment if spilled. Harvested algae, like fossil fuel, release CO2
when burnt but unlike fossil fuel the CO2 is taken out of the
atmosphere by the growing algae. It’s more environmentally
friendly compared to other sources of bio-fuel. The United States Department of
Energy estimates that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the
United States, it would require 15,000 square miles (39,000 km2) which is only
0.42% of the U.S. map,[10] or about half of the land area of Maine. This is
less than 1⁄7 the area of corn harvested in the United States in 2000. This tells
how potential and economically viable algaculture can be if accorded the
necessary attention and resources.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae_fuel

As a result of the continous increase in the price of oil, several different important methods and innovations have been developed to help address this issue of oil price increase. Among several important and innovative techniques which have be exploited to address this issue is biofuel. However, as the different types of biofuels that are now currently in production and development are still relatively new to the market, there is however a strong debate about the overall efficiency, effectiveness and safety of biofuels.

Biodiesel which is the most important and common biofuel is produced with lethal chemicals which include methanol, caustic soda and concentrated sulphuric acid. Theses potential lethal chemicals used in the production of biodiesel are mostly the environmental and health safety issues inherent in biofuel. Methanol is a toxic chemical, which when come in contact with the body either through direct skin contact or through breaking in the vapour,can cause serious nausea, dizziness and visual disturbances which can invariably lead to blindness. On the other hands, sodium hydroxide is regarded to be extremely corrosive, and can cause burning to unprotected skin and is particularly damaging to the eyes.

Other safety issues associated with biodiesel which is the most common biofuels are methanol spillage igniting and fire spreading to storage tanks, workers being burnt by sulphuric acid due to poor training, supervision and suitability, small processors exploding due to accidental switching on of electric immersion heaters, pipework bursting due to use of incompatible materials, adding methanol to hot oil and small fire escalating to large fires due to use of plastic reactor vessels.

References

http://www.agrabiofuels.com

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/healthandsafety.html

The word ‘biofuel' is used to describe any fuel, liquid or
gas made from plants or microorganisms. Biofuels have been in existence since
the 19th century when a French scientist called 'Rudolf Diesel' ran his engine
on peanut oil at the world exhibition in France. Over the years as fossil fuels
are been consumed at a faster rate than ever and there effects on the
environment are becoming more pronounced, other sources of energy which can
provide similar energy and less effects on the environment have been invented.
One of the few renewable sources which can fulfil global demand is the BIOFUEL. Major biofuels include
ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, hydrogen from biomass etc.

Biofuels can be produced using different techniques they include
anaerobic digestion of waste, conversion of sugar into alcohol, transesterification,
etc. There have been concerns about the impacts of biofuels on the global
economy, food prices and the environment. Certain economies are solely
dependent on fossil fuels; the introduction of fossil fuels would cause a disaster,
on the issue of environment the use of biofuels produces little or no green
house gases. Hitherto, there have been no reports about accidents occurring as
a result of using or producing biofuels. Although there have been some debates
about its effect on food prices.

REFERENCES

1)
Reid Detchon, ‘Biofuels for Our Future: A
Primer.’

2)
www.wikipedia.org

3)
2012,
Harrison Oluwaseyi, Biomass to Biofuel: Anaerobic digestion of waste.