Sources by Grayson Roberts

Natural Gas

grober30 — 2018-10-14 13:56:56 UTC

1 “Natural Gas.” Fuel Economy, U.S Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov/feg/bifueltech.shtml.
(key words) Advantages, disadvantages, cheaper.
(Summary)One of the cleanest combusting fuel. Typically cheaper than gasoline but not as readily available. Can be used in current gasoline-based engines after a CNG conversion. Not widely available in the U.S and only a few models are available. Most are multifueled some are natural gas exclusive, the latter is the more efficient. Less miles on a tank of fuel.

(Opinion) Could be a substitute but we don't have enough research/ development to show the full potential of natural gas as an alternate fuel. Not significantly better than gasoline emission wise but could be a replacement in the event of a gasoline shortage. Overall pretty cool that normal engines can be converted to run natural gas, I guess my fathers story has some merit. Natural gas is definitely an option for an alternate fuel, especially If it becomes more efficient.
(credibility) Credible because its the official research of the U.S department of energy. Thus is backed by the government. Also has statistical evidence and data sources.

Alternate fuels

grober30 — 2018-10-14 14:25:56 UTC

9 Allen, Mike. “Crunching the Numbers on Alternative Fuels.” Popular Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, 14 Nov. 2017, www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a638/2690341/.
(key words) debate, outlook, dependence.
(summary) List various alternate fuels and there potential pros/cons. Highlights the best competitors to gasoline and explains their likeliness to replace gasoline. Gives a potential "outlook" for the viability of the alternate fuel in the future and how its likely to either succeed of fail as a effective alternative to gasoline.
(opinion) Great source on the potential fuels that are listed. Provides good information but lacking statistics, however these can be provided with research outside the article. Has specific examples/ fuels which is helpful because it allows me to research more into the individual fuels. A good source for fuels and information about them.
(credibility) Popular mechanics is typically not involved in politics and focuses on the factual reporting of technologies. They focus on being pro-science and are overall a reliable source with the exception of a few "advertisement" articles.

Electric cars

grober30 — 2018-10-14 15:17:02 UTC

7 Høyer, Karl Georg. “The History of Alternative Fuels in Transportation: The Case of Electric and Hybrid Cars.” Utilities Policy, vol. 16, no. 2, Elsevier Ltd, 2008, pp. 63–71, doi:10.1016/j.jup.2007.11.001.
(key words) history, Electric cars, Hybrid cars
(summary) Provides information on the history/ origins of electric and hybrid cars. Covers the usefulness and need for electric cars at a specific time (and place). Reviews the environmental debate to an extent and its relation to electric cars. Provides specific dates and events that have had an effect on the development/use of electric and hybrid cars. Also covers the financials of the cars.
(opinion) An interesting article but with limited usefulness to my research. My focus is not on the history of alternative fuels but rather their future. However the history of the electric car will help me understand its ability to work as an alternative fuel. The article does provide information other than the history of the electric car but not much. Because their history is important I will likely cover their history briefly. Could be used in an introduction.
(credibility) This article has been peer reviewed and referenced by many other articles. There is a long list of sources and the information is purely informative/ factual, a overall good source.

Ethanol

grober30 — 2018-10-20 17:52:36 UTC

3 “Ethanol.” Fuel Economy, U.S Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml.
(key words) Performance, availability, cost.
(summary) Ethanol is a fuel made from plant materials. Mostly deriving from corn, various grasses, and sugarcane. Can be used to reduce emissions and dependence on oil, however it is usually used as a blend with gasoline, not exclusively by itself. Less efficient than gas, lower mpg. Cost less per gallon but more per mile. Performance wise certain mixtures actually perform better than gasoline resulting in higher horsepower and engine performance (E85). Already available at certain locations around the U.S.
(opinion) Good source for information however it is lacking in content/ size. Information presented clearly with easy to understand pro/cons, and does not have filler content. Would be improved with the use of graphs such as prices or a dyno test to show the performance enhancements of the fuel. Could be used for racing (if it isn't already) I might put some in my car to get a performance advantage.
(credibility) U.S government website, backed by professionals and the gov itself. A reliable source

Electricity

grober30 — 2018-10-20 18:09:13 UTC

2 “Electricity.” Fuel Economy, U.S Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov/feg/electricity.shtml.
(key words) Production, Emissions, Cost.
(summary) Electricity is an alternate fuel that is used in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are for the most part more expensive than gasoline/ diesel cars, but are cheaper to charge/ refuel. The vehicle itself has no emissions, however they do take the form of the emissions from electric powerplants. Vehicles have shorter range, take loner to charge, are more expensive, and their no emissions only really take effect in areas where they are powered by green energy (not coal powerplants). Electric motors are very efficient though.
(opinion) Similar to the ethanol source (same parent website), however it does have a graph showing what percent of U.S electricity is generated by each method of producing energy. Short article but does have a nice list of advantages/ disadvantages. (credibility) U.S government website, backed by professionals and the gov itself. Also has visual evidence in the form of a graph, a reliable source.

Bio Diesel

grober30 — 2018-10-20 18:23:35 UTC

4 “Bio Diesel.” Fuel Economy, U.S Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov/feg/biodiesel.shtml.
(key words) Compared, advantages, disadvantages.
(summary) fuel made from animal fat, vegetable oil, and grease from restaurants. Produces less pollutants and is biodegradable. Usually blended with diesel, but can cause damage to an engine if not used in the proper blend. Roughly 15% less greenhouse gasses emitted and is made from renewable resources. Can be used in most modern diesel engines. However its currently more expensive than traditional fuels, has lower fuel economy and may effect an engines long-term durability.
(opinion) Is not likely to replace gasoline but does have some merits especially with it being a renewable resource and utilizing restaurant grease (waste). If more research was put into biodiesel and making it cheaper to produce it could have its place in the future as an alternate fuel. Sadly this article is no more than a few paragraphs but has useful information. Also has a list of other articles that have more information on biodiesels.
(credibility) Credible because its the official research of the U.S department of energy. Thus is backed by the government.

Hydrogen

grober30 — 2018-10-20 18:39:00 UTC

5 “Hydrogen.” Fuel Economy, U.S Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov/feg/hydrogen.shtml.
(key words) Benefits, challenges, availability.
(summary) Has huge potential but needs to be fine tuned to be able to be widely available. Has many sources and can be produced domestically, thus will reduce our reliance on oil and oil imports. Used in fuel call vehicles and internal combustion vehicles. Also produces no greenhouse gasses but some methods of producing hydrogen do produce green house gasses but these are significantly less than gasoline vehicles. Not widely available yet, Fuel celled vehicles are more expensive but prices are dropping. More hydrogen is needed to go the same distance as gasoline, needs large tanks.
(opinion) Hydrogen has a lot of potential but needs a lot of work. The article has good information and links to other sources that dive deeper into its potential. It will be interesting to see if hydrogen makes any progress within my lifetime and to what existent, I'm always down for cheaper fuel!
(credibility) Credible because its the official research of the U.S department of energy. Is backed by the U.S gov and has good sources for additional information.

Propane: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

grober30 — 2018-10-20 18:55:49 UTC

6 “Propane: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).” Fuel Economy, U.S Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov/feg/lpg.shtml.
(key words) Limited, converted, domestic.
(summary) Propane has less emissions than gasoline, but is also a non- renewable fossil fuel. Cheaper than gasoline and does not effect performance. Most modern engines can be converted to use LPG. Limited availability in light-duty passenger vehicles, less miles per tank of fuel.
(opinion) The article has good information but is very short. However it does provide multiple links that provide additional information. LPG could be a substitute to gasoline even in the modern day if it were widely available.
(credibility) Credible because its the official research of the U.S department of energy. Provides source material(s).

Solar panels

grober30 — 2018-11-04 22:05:22 UTC

8 Fairley, Peter. "Does Car-Mounted Solar Make Sense?" MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review, 14 July 2008. Web. 01 Nov. 2018. .
(key words) Solar, power, experts.
(summary) Article on the viability of using solar panels on a car. This article references test performed by companies and an interview. Provides good insight on the potential of using solar panels to power electric cars.

(opinion) If solar panels become more efficient and cheaper they could be used to help alleviate electric cars shorter range by charging them as they drive. I personally think there's good potential in the use of solar panels especially if the weight is reduced and they are become easier to mold to a cars body.