Article 226 - The Future Fuel Problem

The Future Fuel Problem.

Humans face several Issues up to the year 2100.

Issues

Fossil fuels must be phased out by 2100 to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and so assist in controlling global warming below 2 deg C.

Fossil fuels make up 64.2% of the energy generation on the Earth.

Source: CIA World fact Book (2012 est.)

Fossil fuels must be maintained up to the year 2100 as energy generation sources to ensure humans have sufficient energy for an increasing population.

Fossil fuels will run out between 2060 and 2125 based on current population, reserves and current consumption.

Fossil fuels will run out even faster as population increases.

If fossil fuels are maintained up to the year 2100 then more greenhouse gases will be released and global warming will increase above 2 deg C to temperatures that threaten human existence.

If fossil fuels are maintained up to the year 2100 then more renewables can be manufactured to assist in human existence.

New fuels are needed.

Physical Constraints

In order to comply with the laws of conservation of energy and thermodynamics any fuel used necessarily needs a higher energy input before it can provide any energy output.

The more potential energy a fuel has the more energy is needed to be inputted to establish it as a fuel source.

Solutions

In order of increasing potential energy the chemical elements above Carbon can be listed as Boron, Beryllium, Lithium, Helium and Hydrogen.

This is the sequence of element use that any future energy development will need to follow.

Comparing each mineral, production, resource, resource duration, resource peak year and resource depletion year for each potential fuel source conclusions can be drawn.

Conclusions

The Carbon economy cannot be easily replaced by beryllium, lithium or boron since these run out before 2055, before fossil fuels are phased out.

Helium can replace fossil fuels but more reserves are needed to extend its use as a fuel beyond 2218.

Hydrogen is an unlimited fuel resource but it cannot be easily set up as a fuel economy because all of the fuels needed to establish it have run out or are phased out before 2125.

Ian K Whittaker

Websites:

https://sites.google.com/site/architecturearticles

Email: iankwhittaker@gmail.com

02/09/2017

14/10/2020

383 words over 2 pages