Fuels to Drive Our Future

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 Contents

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Conventional Petroleum, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and Natural Gas
• 3. Production Costs for Alternative Liquid Fuels Sources
• 4. Conversion Technologies and R&D Opportunities
• 5. Environmental Impacts of Alternative Fuels
• 6. Major Conclusions and Recommendations for R&D on Liquid Transportation Fuels
• Appendix A: Statement of Task
• Appendix B: Committee Meetings and Activities
• Appendix C: U.S. and World Resources of Hydrocarbons
• Appendix D: Cost Analysis Methods
• Appendix E: Technologies for Converting Heavy Oil
• Appendix F: Retorting Technologies for Oil Shale
• Appendix G: Research, Development, and Demonstration Definitions
• Appendix H: Coprocessing Technology
• Appendix I: Technical Data for Coal Pyrolysis
• Appendix J: Description of Technologies for Direct Conversion of Natural Gas
• Appendix L: Temperature Characteristics of High-Temperature Gas Reactors
• Glossary
• References and Bibliography
• Index
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