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Theoretical Backdrop
"The 20th century was the century of oil. The 21st century will be different. We want to make sure that farmer owned, fuel-producing businesses are a part of the new century."
Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit,
December 2006
In our world today oil and gas reserves are permanently declining. Scientists are searching for alternative liquid fuels. This task is major and the solution identified so far is: BIOFUELS!
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit (December 2006), identified: "ethanol as being the heavyweight of the biofuel industry¡± . Ethanol is a clear , clean burning , biodegradable alcohol used in gasoline.
Based on the many benefits of ethanol, the Government of Canada plans to use 5% ethanol blended gasoline in all gasoline sold by 2010. Ontario is our country's largest fuel consumer, using over 14 billion gallons of gasoline per year. So, we need to 'wake up' to become 'naturally resourceful'!
This experiment has been designed to find a simple solution to demonstrate that ethanol can be produced as a low-cost , environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based fuels.
The data obtained are interpreted with reference to The Three Laws of Thermodynamics stated below:
The First Law of Thermodynamics by Joule and Clausius (1850) states that: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can change its form.
The implication being that the total energy in the Universe is freely available in different bodies. As energy moves from one body to another it may change form. A tank of gasoline has a certain potential energy that is converted into kinetic energy by the engine. When the potential is used up, the automobile is out of gas or energy to perform work.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics by Clausius (1854) states that: I n all energy exchanges, no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the current state will always be less than that of the initial state.
The implication being that i n the process of energy transfer, some energy will be lost as heat. Energy can be transformed but loss of energy occurs as it changes form. The energy that is given off during such an exchange affects our environment .
The Third Law of Thermodynamics by Nerst & Planck (1854) states that: entropy of any condensed substance at zero temperature has a value of zero.
The implication being that at low temperatures when a liquid (such as ethanol) cools, the movement of its molecules becomes slower. So for efficient and low-cost production of ethanol, the manufacturing plants should be located in warm climates.
Implication of the three Laws of Thermodynamics for the purposes of this experiment is summarized below:
- The First Law of Thermodynamics describes the universal availability of energy in different bodies.
- The Second law of Thermodynamics addresses the way energy changes form and the nature of energy exchange among different bodies.
- The Third Law of Thermodynamics brings out the influence of Nature on energy exchange.
In essence, the Three Laws of Thermodynamics explain the process of energy conservation and energy usage and the impact on environment.
Source: www.hubbertpeak.com
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