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  • General

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  • 生物质能源

    Coastal scene with boats and a green landscape, symbolizing algae farming potential.

     

    Does this look like energy to you?
    ::你觉得这像是能量吗?

    Algae is sometimes mocked as a  source  of  fuel . But algae are a potentially wonderful source of power. They convert  energy  from the   into food by  photosynthesis . Algae can be grown in  desert  areas where other crops cannot grow.  Nutrients  for algae may be wastes from other processes. Algae can be processed to be made into a liquid. There is a lot of research going on to harness algae for  biofuels .
    ::藻类有时被嘲弄为燃料来源,但藻类是潜在的极好能源来源,它们通过光合作用将能量从能量转换成食物。藻类可以在沙漠地区生长,其他作物无法种植。藻类的营养物可能是其他过程的废物。藻类可以加工成液态。正在进行大量研究,以利用藻类作为生物燃料。

    Biomass
    ::生物量

    Biomass  is the material that comes from plants and animals that were recently living. Biomass can be burned directly. This happens when you burn a log in your fireplace. For as long as humans have had fire, people have used biomass for heating and cooking.
    ::生物质是来自最近生活的植物和动物的物质。生物质可以直接燃烧。当您在壁炉中烧掉原木时,生物物质会直接燃烧。只要人类有火,人们就会用生物质取暖和做饭。

    To generate biomass energy, break down the cell walls of plants. This releases the sugars. The sugars are then fermented to create fuel.
    ::为了产生生物质能量,打破植物的细胞壁,释放糖,然后发酵糖以产生燃料。

    Biofuel
    ::生物燃料

    More recently, people have learned to process biomass to make fuel. This is called  biofuel . Biofuel is created from crops, such as corn or algae. Biofuel is unique among renewable energy sources. This is because it is liquid. Unlike  , for example, biofuels can be used in a car ( Figure   ). Biofuels burn more cleanly than  fossil fuels . They create less pollution and less carbon dioxide. Biofuels, such as ethanol, are added to  gasoline . This cuts down the amount of fossil fuels that are used.
    ::最近,人们学会了加工生物量以制造燃料。这叫生物燃料。生物燃料是用作物,如玉米或藻类创造的。生物燃料在可再生能源中是独一无二的。这是因为生物燃料是液体。这与生物燃料可以在汽车中使用不同(图 )。生物燃料比化石燃料更清洁地燃烧,造成污染更少,二氧化碳更少。生物燃料,如乙醇,被添加到汽油中。这减少了所使用的化石燃料的数量。

    Fuel pump showing E85 ethanol blend at a service station for vehicles.

     

    E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol, being pumped into a vehicle.
    ::E85,一种85%乙醇的燃料, 被泵进一辆汽车。

    Sources of Biomass Energy
    ::生物物质能源来源

    Any  organic  material can be made into electricity. But some materials are better than others. Wastes can be used, like almond shells. Biomass power is a great use of wastes. It's hard to use wastes as a consistent large scale source of energy though.
    ::任何有机物质都可以被制成电力。 但有些材料比其他材料更好。 废物可以被使用, 如杏仁壳。 生物物质动力是大量使用废物。 但是, 很难使用废物作为持续的大规模能源。

    Cow manure can have a second life as a source of methane gas, which can be converted to electricity. Not only that food scraps can also be converted into green energy.
    ::牛粪可以作为甲烷气体的源头拥有第二代生命,甲烷气体可以转换成电力。 不仅食品废料也可以转化为绿色能源。

    Consequences of Biomass Use
    ::生物量使用的后果

    Some crops do not make good biofuels. Crops need energy, fertilizer, and land to grow. Sometimes the amount of resources that go into producing the crop is too high. The crop produces very little energy more than it consumes. Corn is a very inefficient source of biofuels. Also, the fertilizers and  pesticides  used to grow the crops enter the environment. They run off the crops and become damaging pollutants in nearby  water  bodies or in the oceans. Scientists are looking for much better sources of biomass energy.
    ::有些作物不能生产好的生物燃料,作物需要能源、肥料和土地才能种植。有时,用于生产作物的资源数量太高。作物所生产的能源比消费的少得多。玉米是非常低效的生物燃料来源。同样,种植作物的肥料和杀虫剂也进入了环境。它们从作物中流失,成为附近水体或海洋中的有害污染物。科学家们正在寻找更好的生物质能源来源。

    Algae Biofuels
    ::Algae 生物燃料

    Research is being done into alternative crops for biofuels. A very promising alternative is algae. Algae appears to be a better biofuel than corn. Algae is much easier to convert to a usable fuel. Growing algae requires much less land and energy than crops. Algae can be grown in locations that are not used for other things. For example, they can be grown in desert areas where food crops are not often grown. Corn must be grown where food crops are grown. This can reduce the land and water available for growing food. Algae can be fed agricultural and other waste, so valuable resources are not used. Much research is being done to bring these alternative fuels to market. 
    ::正在研究生物燃料的替代作物。一种非常有希望的替代作物是藻类。藻类似乎是比玉米更好的生物燃料。藻类比玉米更容易转换成有用的燃料。藻类比作物更容易转换成有用的燃料。生长的藻类需要的土地和能源要少得多。藻类可以种植在不用于其他用途的地方。例如,藻类可以种植在不经常种植粮食作物的沙漠地区。种植粮食作物的地方必须种植玉米。这可以减少种植粮食的土地和水。藻类可以喂养农业和其他废物,因此没有使用宝贵的资源。目前正在进行大量研究,将这些替代燃料投放市场。

    Summary
    ::摘要

    • Biofuels are useful because they are liquid. Biofuels can go into a gas tank unlike many other types of alternative energy.
      ::生物燃料之所以有用,是因为它们是液体。 与许多其他替代能源不同,生物燃料可以进入气体罐。
    • Algae is the focus of much research. Algae is a very promising alternative to traditional crops for biofuels.
      ::藻类是许多研究的重点,藻类是生物燃料传统作物的一种很有希望的替代作物。
    • Biofuels have been used for as long as people have been burning wood for warmth or to cook their food.
      ::只要人们一直烧柴取暖或煮饭,生物燃料就一直使用。

    Review
    ::回顾

    1. What are biofuels?
      ::什么是生物燃料?
    1. What does a source need to be a good biofuel? What makes a source a bad biofuel?
      ::一个来源需要什么才能成为好的生物燃料? 是什么使一个来源成为坏的生物燃料?
    1. What makes algae appear to be a good source of biofuels?
      ::是什么使藻类似乎是一个良好的生物燃料来源?