We use four types of biomass today—wood and agricultural products,solid waste, landfill gas and biogas, and alcohol fuels (like Ethanol or Biodiesel). Most biomass used today is home grown energy. Wood—logs, chips, bark, and sawdust—accounts for about 44 percent of biomass energy.

Inside the reactor vessel, the fuel rods are immersed in water which acts as both a coolant and moderator. The moderator helps slow down the neutrons produced by fission to sustain the chain reaction. The heat created by fission turns the water into steam, which spins a turbine to produce carbon-free electricity.

Some examples of biomass fuels are wood, crops, manure, and some garbage. When burned, the chemical energy in biomass is released as heat. Wood waste or garbage can be burned to produce steam for making electricity, or to provide heat to industries and homes. Burning biomass is not the only way to release its energy.

Bioenergy is a renewable source of energy that is produced from plants and animals. Some forms of bioenergy have been around for a long time. Examples include burning wood to create heat, using biodiesel and ethanol to fuel vehicles, and using methane gas and wood to generate electricity.

Pros and cons of biomass

While the advantages of biomass energy are plenty, there are also some shortcomings, including:

• Biomass energy is not as efficient as fossil fuels. Some biofuels, like Ethanol, is relatively inefficient as compared to gasoline.
• It is not entirely clean.
• Can lead to deforestation.
• Biomass plants require a lot of space.

Ethanol can cause several types of damage to the engine in your vehicle. Your vehicle’s fuel intake components can be damaged. In addition, ethanol can cause damage to the fuel pump in your vehicle. Your engine can actually be destroyed if the ethanol content in the fuel you use is too high.

The increased octane rating of ethanol over gasoline can be taken advantage of, es- pecially in high compression turbocharged engines. The higher pressures that are possible with ethanol in a turbocharged engine make it attractive for harnessing all of the potential of high specific output engines.

Some people have reported engines overheating when ethanol blends are used, suggesting that ethanol burns “hotter.” This is a bit mysterious since ethanol contains less energy per unit volume than gasoline, and the flame temperature of ethanol is more than 40°C cooler than gasoline.

Ethanol has a corrosive action on fuel-system components, magnesium, aluminium and rubber. Running E85 on older model engines without tuning and replacing some components will ruin the engine in short time. Replacing fuel hoses, fuel pumps, gaskets, seals, fuel filters, fuel injectors, throttle bodies, etc.

A gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, resulting in lower fuel economy when operating your vehicle. The impact to fuel economy varies depending on the energy difference in the blend used. Ethanol also has a higher octane number than gasoline, which provides increased power and performance.

Each year, the laws require that the number of gallons of blended gasoline increase. As a result, pipelines are sending refineries sub-octane gas that needs ethanol or premium gasoline blended with it before it goes on sale. As refineries start to cut this amount of pure gas, it is becoming scarcer and more expensive.

While not as popular as the ethanol blends, pure gas may be preferable for older car engines, as well as boats, lawn mowers or other tools. Ethanol-free gas also gets better fuel economy. However, most drivers use the E10 or E15 blends, with 10-15% ethanol. That ethanol content only reduces gas mileage by around 5%.

Pure gas gives drivers better mileage. This is because gas mixtures like E10 and E15 have less free energy due to the added ethanol. Compared to regular and premium gas mixtures, non-ethanol gas is better for your overall mileage.

If you have a little reserve of ethanol-free gasoline to use within the next six months, you can store it safely without having to add any stabilizer. Since the fuel does not contain alcohol, it will not attract potentially dangerous water or moisture.

During cold weather if you are using it even very occasionally, Stabil will not be necessary. Use it if it makes you feel better however, because it won’t do any harm.

While the lifespan of fuel stabilizer varies depending on brand, most mixtures will preserve fuel for a full year. If you increase the dosage, you may even get longer protection from the concoction.

between one and three years

Any more than that and you dilute the gasoline so much you’re likely to get detonation and a loss of power. Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer, for example, recommends using just 1 ounce for up to 2.5 gallons of gas and starting with a tank that’s almost full to prevent condensation from forming inside the tank over the winter.

StarTron, at 1 oz/16 gal will stabilize fuel for 2 years. StaBil at 2 oz./2.5 gal will stabilize fuel for 2 years. ACCORDING TO EACH MANUFACTURERS’ SITE, StarTron will treat 6.4 times more fuel than Marine Stabil for the same price, and preserve the fuel twice as long.

Marine engine manufacturers and technicians advise storing any boat with the fuel tank almost full, leaving just a little capacity to accommodate expansion of the fuel if the temperature warms. The tank “breathes” though its vent, and draws in air that is often very damp in the winter months.