Bioenergy: Opportunities and Challenges

Energy is one of the prime needs of the modern world, and energy demands have been rapidly increasing in the recent years owing to rapid advancements in industrialization and population explosion. Conventional fossil fuels are being depleted at rapid rates, and the use of conventional sources such as coal or nuclear sources cause several hazards to the environment. New sources of fuel, such as bioenergy, are an ideal option for fulfilling ever-increasing energy demands. This important book offers an exploration of these alternate fuel sources, including biohydrogen, microbial fuel cells, bioethanol, and biodiesel production, focusing on the challenges and factors hindering the real-time application of these bioenergy sources. Researchers all over the world are working in this energy sector, and this has led to drastic improvements in bioenergy research. However, the technology gap between research and industrial application still exists. This important book offers engineers and technologists from different disciplines valuable information on this multifaceted field. The field of bioenergy is interdisciplinary, requiring the knowledge of biologists, chemists, physicists, and engineers. Exploring the current trends and future prospects for biofuels, the information presented in this book will be valuable to the international industrial community for identifying new options to circumvent problems that exist in bioenergy applications. Topics include: * Thermophilic biohydrogen production * Bio-hydrogen production * Microbial fuel cells as a promising alternative energy source * Microbial fuel cell applications * Potential of Pscillatoria annae in producing bioethanol * Potential of lignocellulosic biofuels * Biodiesel production * Reactor designs for biodesel production * Long-term storage stability of Pongamia pinnata and Jatropha curcus biodiesel