Production and use of liquid biofuels for heating purposes

Abstract

The increased consumption of fossil fuels and energy result directly from the economic development of countries around the world. The economic development also affects the price of fuels, the cost of energy production and, above all, the progressing degradation of the natural environment. Therefore, increasing emphasis is placed on the possibility of efficient generation of heat and electricity from alternative fuels. Biofuels are obtained from the biomass subjected to the biochemical or thermochemical processes. They may be in solid, liquid or gaseous form. They are a very good alternative, enabling to become independent of the fossil energy sources such as coal, oil or gas. The locally produced biofuels can be a cheap energy carrier and also contribute to the climate protection. The main purpose of this article was to present the general characteristics of liquid biofuels. The methods and processes of their production as well as the possibilities of using them in the heating processes are discussed. The preliminary results of comparison of energy values for bioethanol from different distillation stages on laboratory scale were also presented. On the basis of literature review and own research results it can be noticed that the liquid biofuels are an interesting alternative to the conventional fuels.