412 - Appendices

Ester

Mixture of
paraffins and
simple organic
compounds

Paraffin

Mixture of olefins,
paraffins, esters,
aromatics, other
compounds

Alcohol

Element

Biogas

Compressed
natural gas
(CNG)

Diesel

Ethanol

Hydrogen

Transesterification

Anaerobic fermentation

Separation from natural

gas liquids, compression
to about 3,000 psi
Distillation

Aerobic fermentation

Heat transformation or
electrolysis

Biomass

Raw natural gas

Petroleum

Crops such as
grains and sugar
cane
Methanol, water

Derivation

Vegetable oils

Chemical
Origin
Classification

Biodiesel

Fuels

Burned in internalcombustion engines;

oxidized to generate
electricity in fuel cells

Burned in internalcombustion engines

Burned in internalcombustion engines

Burned in internalcombustion engines

Theoretically usable like

natural gas for internalcombustion engines

Burned in internalcombustion engines

Uses

Extracting hydrogen gas

from water requires
electricity, which can be
generated by a variety of
methods.

Mixed with 15% gasoline as

an alternative fuel

Low-sulfur diesel is
sometimes considered an
alternative fuel.

See also liquefied natural gas

Usually about 50-70%

methane, the rest CO2

Biodiesel may be used either

as a replacement for or as a
component of diesel fuel.

Notes

Alternative Fuels and Their Characteristics

Fuels
Liquefied
natural gas
(LNG)
Methanol

Raw natural gas

Separation from natural gas
liquids, compression,
refrigeration to -259F

Derivation
Burned in internalcombustion engines

Uses

See also compressed

natural gas

Notes

Origin

Biomass, natural
gas, biogas
Reformation of natural gas,
syngas or biogas; wood
distillation

Burned in internalcombustion engine;

possible on-board
source of hydrogen
atoms for fuel cells

Petroleum

Distillation or
catalytic cracking

Burned in internalcombustion engines

Burned in internalcombustion engine

In RFG, evaporation is
reduced by removing
more volatile compounds.

Currently, about 2/3 of

U.S. propane comes from
natural gas, the rest from
petroleum.

Raw natural gas,

or petroleum

Biomass, coal

Mixture of hydrogen and

CO2
Thermochemical
transformation

Separation from other

natural gas liquids and
methane; distillation at oil
refinery. After extraction,
compressed to liquid form

As an alternative fuel for

light-duty vehicles, mixed
with 15% gasoline. For
heavy-duty vehicles such
as large buses, straight
methanol is often used.

Alternative Fuels and Their Characteristics

Chemical
Classification
Paraffin

Alcohol

Mixture of olefins,
paraffins, ethers,
aromatics, other
compounds

Propane

Reformulated
gasoline
(RFG)

Paraffin

Syngas

Mixture of
elemental and
simple organic
compounds

Theoretically usable
like natural gas for
internal-combustion
engines; possible
source of hydrogen for
fuel cells

Appendices - 413