Ethanol is taking over the world!

[fultondp]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGrey

To get the most from our fuels, we need two things:

1. Engines designed around and dedicated to burning 100% pure ethanol.

2. Pure gasoline for our current vehicles.

Automakers can bump up the compression ratio and change the fuel maps for existing engines that burn only ethanol. That way they'll be able to squeeze as much power as possible from it.

Also, by getting the ethanol out of our gasoline, existing cars will get an instant 10% mpg boost.

Any car made since 1990 can run up to 50% alcohol NOW, no modification necessary, so why convert, just add alcohol.

Originally Posted by JohnnyGrey

However, running ANY amount of ethanol in cars designed for gasoline is foolish. No good comes from giving gasoline engines ethanol. The reason the oil companies aren't up in arms about it is because it doesn't actually decrease gasoline consumption. The volume displaced by the ethanol is on par with the MPG decrease. That extra volume may as well be air. The only favors done here, are for the corn farmers.

I don't get your logic, any alcohol you burn is displacing gasoline, just at 95% per gallon equivalent. The real reason big oil is not up in arms is that not enough alcohol is yet in the system to make a difference to their bottom line. As far as doing favors for corn farmers, wouldn't you rather give a dollar to an Iowa corn farmer than give it to despots, dictators, and thieves? If you want to have a US foreign policy that can affect real change in the middle east, stop giving them our money.

Darren

[fultondp]

Originally Posted by bennelson

I got to see David Blume speak not too long ago.

He's the author of THE book on making your own ethanol.
He is a big fan of making alcohol from SUSTAINABLY grown crops.

He also won an award for his reporting on how oil businesses were buying up corn futures, artificially, driving up the price. (NOT food vs fuel, which is more media spin than anything)

There is a big ethanol plant about 20 miles from my house, which has just gone bankrupt. They put a TON of money into the place to get up and running, and then the price of ethanol dropped in half, once the "corn-bubble" popped.

Who will buy it? Perhaps an oil company? They would get a really good deal on the place. We do have more and more government requirements for "clean energy", and big businesses would do well to diversify.

We do have some county planners who are presenting the concept of an Eco-Business park on that property. Would be really cool if that went through!

Hi all,
I just joined this thread, and find it disconcerting how much misinformation is out there concerning ethanol. I humbly suggest everyone go out and read David Blume's book "Alcohol Can Be a Gas" before repeating the things you hear on TV about ethanol, most is incorrect at best. Well, at least read the first couple of chapters, it's a BIG book!

bennelson,
It doesn't sound like the operators of the distillery near you had a good business plan, if they were entirely dependent on corn. They should have been able to switch to another feedstock and keep on going.

Darren

[8307c4]

Brazil's corn oil comes at a steep price, just the labor alone would be considered slavery.

They put up with it, why, I can only guess there exists little in the way of options.
These folks are doing what must be done.

Would you go out and mow down fields of sooty, stenchy corn with a machete?
Because to use machines in the production isn't efficient, it's all done via manual labor.
Oh sure, they burn it first to make it easier.
Which in turn presents a huge ecological weight.

And I could be wrong but I don't think it's good for longevity.

[NiHaoMike]

I wonder why aren't there programs to plant biofuel crops in yards. I'm sure there's a lot who will want to make a little extra money without having to do much.

[fultondp]

Originally Posted by NiHaoMike

I wonder why aren't there programs to plant biofuel crops in yards. I'm sure there's a lot who will want to make a little extra money without having to do much.

Wouldn't that be cool! Mow the yard, take it to the distillery, and trade it in for a gallon of fuel. Write a grant proposal and send it to the government, and see if you can get it built under the "energy research" stimulus program.

Darren

[fultondp]

Originally Posted by 8307c4

Brazil's corn oil comes at a steep price, just the labor alone would be considered slavery. They put up with it, why, I can only guess there exists little in the way of options. These folks are doing what must be done.

I haven't heard the Brazilian use much corn for fuel, they mostly use sugercane to make ethanol. I think they mostly use corn for cattle feed, just like we do in the US. As far as working conditions and pay, I don't have any facts, so I can't really comment.

Originally Posted by 8307c4

Oh sure, they burn it first to make it easier.
Which in turn presents a huge ecological weight.

And I could be wrong but I don't think it's good for longevity.

As far as longevity goes, burning and making fuel from living plants is carbon neutral, carbon in, carbon out. Digging up carbon from millions of years ago is not. So if you are concerned about Global Warming, it is much better to grow and burn then to dig and burn.

darren