Biocombustible

BIOFUELS IN COLOMBIA

BACKGROUND

The first use of vegetable oils as fuels, dating back to 1900, as Rudolph Diesel, who used it for the first time in its ignition engine - compression and who predicted the future use of biofuels.

During the Second World War, and given the scarcity of fossil fuels, it was notable the investigation made by Otto and Vivacqua in Brazil, on diesel plant, but itwas until 1970, biodiesel was developed to significantly following the energy crisis that was happening at the moment, and the high cost of oil.

WHAT IS BIOFUEL

It is a product derived from renewable sources (biomass), which may be liquid or gas. This term includes ethyl alcohol or ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, diesel made by the process of Fischer-Tropsch chemical and gaseous fuels such ashydrogen and methane.

Biofuels have been mainly used:
• As an alternative to fossil fuels at higher prices.
• To improve the quality of fossil fuel (European case).
• To reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment (global trends).

The biofuel production process involves different sectors of the economy, which are:
Agriculture: Production of raw materials.
oil industries: Oilproduction.
Chemical: Transesterification.
refineries and fuel wholesale companies Mixed with gasoline, diesel and distribution of biofuels
Local administration: Fleets of buses, taxis, heating and so on.
Environmentally protected areas: use of biofuels in transport by national parks, among others.

In Colombia, for purposes of interpreting and applying current regulations, the termbiofuels plant or animal origin for use in diesel engines, liquid or gaseous fuel that has been obtained from a plant or animal that can be used in combustion processes and comply with the definitions and standards established by the competent authority, to be partial or total replacement of diesel fuel used in diesel engines.

At least the products listed below can be considered biofuels for dieselengines:
a) Bioethanol. Ethanol produced from biomass and / or biodegradable waste for use as biofuel;
b) Biodiesel. Methyl / ethyl ester produced from vegetable oil or animal quality of a diesel;
c) Bioethanol. Methanol produced from biomass.
d) dimethyl ether. Dimethylether produced from biomass;
e) synthetic biofuels. Synthetic hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof which have been produced frombiomass;
f) Biohydrogen. Hydrogen produced from biomass and / or biodegradable waste.
g) pure vegetable oils. Vegetable oils produced through pressing, extraction or similar procedures, crude or refined but not chemically altered when they are compatible with the type of engine in that will be used.

CLASS OF BIOFUEL

1 .- Fuel Alcohol - Bioethanol
It is defined as an organic liquid compound,different from petroleum hydrocarbons, natural gas or coal (fossil), which has in its molecule a hydroxyl group (OH) bonded to a carbon atom. For purposes of the 5308 NTC Colombian rule is understood as anhydrous ethanol alcohol fuel made from biomass, which has a water content below 0.7% by volume.

The fuel ethanol (bioethanol) results from three processes:
fermentation of organiccompounds, accompanied by a process of distillation and drying.
Segregation molecular process in which biomass is broken by separating the proteins of starch, fiber and so on. The starch can be converted into fermentable sugar to produce alcohol.
cellulose hydrolysis, this process would use any material containing cellulose, for example waste or agricultural waste. This process is under investigationin different parts of the world and is expected to soon be economically viable.

It is estimated that in future all fields green materials, organic waste and garbage will be transformed into ethanol by the process of hydrolysis of cellulose.

Currently, ethanol is produced from a variety of agricultural products like sugarcane, maize, sugar beet, wheat, barley, cassava, among others, but world...