Fuels to Drive Our Future Paperback / softback

The American love affair with the automobile is powered by gasoline and diesel fuel, both produced from petroleum.

But experts are turning more of their attention to alternative sources of liquid transportation fuels, as concerns mount about U.S. dependence on foreign oil, falling domestic oil production, and the environment. This book explores the potential for producing liquid transportation fuels by enhanced oil recovery from existing reservoirs, and processing resources such as coal, oil shale, tar sands, natural gas, and other promising approaches. Fuels to Drive Our Future draws together relevant geological, technical, economic, and environmental factors and recommends specific directions for U.S. research and development efforts on alternative fuel sources. Of special interest is the book's benchmark cost analysis comparing several major alternative fuel production processes. This volume will be of special interest to executives and engineers in the automotive and fuel industries, policymakers, environmental and alternative fuel specialists, energy economists, and researchers. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive Summary1. Introduction2. Conventional Petroleum, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and Natural Gas3.

Production Costs for Alternative Liquid Fuels Sources4.

Conversion Technologies and R&D Opportunities5. Environmental Impacts of Alternative Fuels6. Major Conclusions and Recommendations for R&D on LiquidTransportation FuelsAppendix A: Statement of TaskAppendix B: Committee Meetings and ActivitiesAppendix C: U.S. and World Resources of HydrocarbonsAppendix D: Cost Analysis MethodsAppendix E: Technologies for Converting Heavy OilAppendix F: Retorting Technologies for Oil ShaleAppendix G: Research, Development, and Demonstration DefinitionsAppendix H: Coprocessing TechnologyAppendix I: Technical Data for Coal PyrolysisAppendix J: Description of Technologies for Direct Conversion ofNatural GasAppendix L: Temperature Characteristics of High-Temperature GasReactorsGlossaryReferences and BibliographyIndex