ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
V. Ryan © 2002-05
BIOFUELS |
||
Biofuels are obtained from organic (animal or plant)
waste and is normally on a small scale. For example, a farm may use
waste to produce methane gas (as the waste rots), the gas can then be
collected. The gas can then be burned to produce heat or to drive
machinery. In the Second World War cars and lorries where often seen
with a ‘balloon’ on the roof. This was filled with gas which was the
fuel that the vehicle burned. In the modern version the gas is
compressed in gas cylinders and kept in the boot. The photograph (left) shows a power plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. The plant receives 2500 tonnes of rubbish everyday which is burned in high temperature furnaces, heating water to produce steam. The steam is then used to drive turbines, producing 67MW (mega-watts) of electricity. |
||
WASTE BEING COLLECTED FOR BURNING TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY |
||