Biofuel
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Biofuel is an energy resource made from plants and animals that have been grown to heat, light or to power electrical appliances.
About Biofuel
- Biofuel is a renewable energy resource.
- Biofuel has energy in its chemical potential energy store which can be transferred into a thermal energy store by combustion.
There are several types of biofuel:
- Wood
- Bio-ethanol
- Bio-diesel
- Bio-gas
Power
- 1. Biofuel is burned in a furnace.
- 2. The combustion of biofuel heats water in a boiler.
- 3. The water turns into steam and rushes down pipes.
- 4. The steam turns a turbine.
- 5. The turbine spins a generator.
- 6. The generator makes electricity.
Advantages
- Extremely reliable.
- When growing fuels Carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere by the plants.
- Can be ‘carbon neutral’ as the same amount of Carbon Dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere to grow the biofuel as it put back into the atmosphere by burning them.
Disadvantages
- Cost of fuels is high.
- Large areas of land must be used to grow the fuel (this can mean cutting down forests for land).
- Burning the fuels produces carbon dioxide and if fuels are burned quicker than they can be grown then the produce more pollution.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Biofuel is an energy resource made from plants and animals that have been grown to heat, light or to power electrical appliances.
About Biofuel
- Biofuel is a renewable energy resource.
- Biofuel has energy in its chemical potential energy store which can be transferred into a thermal energy store by combustion.
There are several types of biofuel:
- Wood
- Bio-ethanol
- Bio-diesel
- Bio-gas
Power
- 1. Biofuel is burned in a furnace.
- 2. The combustion of biofuel heats water in a boiler.
- 3. The water turns into steam and rushes down pipes.
- 4. The steam turns a turbine.
- 5. The turbine spins a generator.
- 6. The generator makes electricity.
Advantages
- Extremely reliable.
- When growing fuels Carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere by the plants.
- Can be ‘carbon neutral’ as the same amount of Carbon Dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere to grow the biofuel as it put back into the atmosphere by burning them.
Disadvantages
- Cost of fuels is high.
- Large areas of land must be used to grow the fuel (this can mean cutting down forests for land).
- Burning the fuels produces carbon dioxide and if fuels are burned quicker than they can be grown then the produce more pollution.
References
AQA
- Biofuel, page 354, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Bio-fuels, page 178, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Biofuels, page 201, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Biofuels, page 248, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
- Biofuels, page 278, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
- Bio-fuels, pages 18, 21, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Biofuels, pages 36, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Bio-fuels, pages 46, 53, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA
- Bio-fuels, pages 48, 55, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
Edexcel
- Biofuels, page 101, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Bio-fuels, page 160, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Biofuels, page 195, GCSE Biology, Pearson, Edexcel
- Bio-fuels, page 28, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Biofuels, page 297, GCSE Biology, CGP, Edexcel
- Bio-fuels, page 327, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
- Bio-fuels, page 45, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
- Bio-fuels, pages 79, 80, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
OCR
- Bio-fuels, page 212, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Biofuels, page 257, Gateway GCSE Chemistry, Oxford, OCR
- Bio-fuels, page 93, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Biofuels, page 98, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR Gateway
- Biofuels, pages 226, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR