-
Essay / Fossil fuels: the world's main source of energy
Currently, in everyday life, fossil fuels are the world's main source of energy. It was formed over millions of years from organic matter (remains of dead animals and plants) and is primarily used to power vehicles and generate electricity. Types of fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas. Although they play an important role in our lives, fossil fuels are non-renewable resources that also harm the environment when used. Fossil fuels are burned to produce thermal energy. However, its combustion also releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, causing global warming. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as shown in Figure 1, the combustion of fossil fuels contributes to the majority of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 (77%). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The solution to this problem is to use another type of fuel that can become an alternative to fossil fuels that does not harm the environment. environment, such as bioethanol. This fuel can replace the use of fossil fuels to power road transport vehicles. Bioethanol is entirely composed of organic products, so it is a renewable energy source. It is produced by the fermentation of plants containing sugar and starch, such as corn, wheat, sugar cane, etc. The bioethanol production process is very long. From the image in Figure 2, the bioethanol production steps include grinding, saccharification, fermentation and dehydration. (In this case, corn is used). The first step is grinding, or also called grinding. During grinding, a hammer or roller mill is used to grind (shown in Figure 2). As the rotor turns, the corn is hammered against the wall, causing the larger particles to break down into smaller ones. In this case, grinding helps break down the tough outer coverings of the corn kernel. Once broken down, it is mixed with heated water to form a puree. When the water temperature is above 60°C, the water interacts with the starch granules to form a vicious suspension. After this, a process called liquefaction is carried out in the form of hydrolysis which reduces the malice. Hydrolysis is where water reacts with sugar to break down the sugar and form glucose. Its function is to break the longer starch chains into smaller chains. The next step is saccharification. This is an additional hydrolysis process carried out by adding enzymes, such as glucoamylase. During this process, the optimal conditions are at 4.5 pH and a temperature between 55 and 65°C. Then the solution is ready to ferment into ethanol and undergo a process called fermentation. During fermentation, yeast is added to the solution, converting the sucrose sugars into fructose and glucose. Generally, the yeast used is saccharomyces cerevisiae (single-celled fungus). The exact time required for this reaction process is 2-3 days (at 30-32°C). The chemical equation for this chemical process is C6H12O6? 2C2H6OH + 2CO2.Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayFinally, the last phase of bioethanol production is.