Comments on: Ethanol to supplement/replace gasoline? http://persistenceunlimited.com/2006/04/ethanol-to-supplementreplace-gasoline/ Goal Setting and Productivity for People Who Like Technology Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:23:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Brad Isaac http://persistenceunlimited.com/2006/04/ethanol-to-supplementreplace-gasoline/comment-page-1/#comment-708 Brad Isaac Wed, 26 Apr 2006 05:09:38 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/?p=453#comment-708 I heard on the radio that flex fuel autos aren't selling so well here in the US for some reason. When I bought my last car, there was one on the market, but they had sold out and there was a waiting period of 4 months or so. So I wasn't wanting to wait that long. Now to hear they can't sell them is interesting. I heard on the radio that flex fuel autos aren’t selling so well here in the US for some reason. When I bought my last car, there was one on the market, but they had sold out and there was a waiting period of 4 months or so. So I wasn’t wanting to wait that long. Now to hear they can’t sell them is interesting.

]]> By: C. Scott Miller http://persistenceunlimited.com/2006/04/ethanol-to-supplementreplace-gasoline/comment-page-1/#comment-707 C. Scott Miller Sat, 22 Apr 2006 22:57:43 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/?p=453#comment-707 I talk alot about ethanol at my BioConversion Blog. To answer your questions: <i>I was left with some questions though. Like where would someone buy an ethanol blend? Is it safe for your engine?</i> You probably already are driving on an ethanol blend. In most states now, the oxygenate MTBE is being replaced with ethanol - 6% of the volume of gasoline in California. You could drive on 10% ethanol without any modification to your engine and some states are considering setting the blend to that level. There are about 500 stations nationwide that sell E85 (85% ethanol) but you need a flex-fuel car for that. There are currently about 500,000 flex-fuel cars in operation in the U.S. - but most of their owners (pick-up drivers) don't even know that - hence the recent G.M. campaign. You can check at the NEVC website (www.e85fuel.com) where they have specific models listed. Expect more models to follow. <i>So what do make of the current gasoline situation?</i> High prices are going to spur the development of alternatives. Investors are salivating for opportunities as the number of biorefineries will effectively double from 95 to 200 within the next 6 years. Not to mention new cellulosic ethanol facilities which will be located not just in the Midwest but some will be waste-to-ethanol facilities in urban areas. <i>Do you see ethanol as a good solution or what else do you think might fix our gasoline problem?</i> Since it only adds about $100 to the production of a vehicle to make it flex-fuel compatible, all vehicles should be made flex-fuel compatible - increasing our purchase options at the pump. Also, all hybrids including revolutionary plug-in designs (PHEVs) should be made flex-fuel compatible. If so, a 100mpg PHEV running on E85 would get about 500 miles for each gallon of gasoline. Just the threat of that kind of competition should depress the price of gasoline. Not to mention the positive impact on the environment since ethanol runs cleaner than gasoline. I talk alot about ethanol at my BioConversion Blog. To answer your questions:

I was left with some questions though. Like where would someone buy an ethanol blend? Is it safe for your engine?

You probably already are driving on an ethanol blend. In most states now, the oxygenate MTBE is being replaced with ethanol – 6% of the volume of gasoline in California. You could drive on 10% ethanol without any modification to your engine and some states are considering setting the blend to that level.

There are about 500 stations nationwide that sell E85 (85% ethanol) but you need a flex-fuel car for that. There are currently about 500,000 flex-fuel cars in operation in the U.S. – but most of their owners (pick-up drivers) don’t even know that – hence the recent G.M. campaign. You can check at the NEVC website (www.e85fuel.com) where they have specific models listed. Expect more models to follow.

So what do make of the current gasoline situation?

High prices are going to spur the development of alternatives. Investors are salivating for opportunities as the number of biorefineries will effectively double from 95 to 200 within the next 6 years. Not to mention new cellulosic ethanol facilities which will be located not just in the Midwest but some will be waste-to-ethanol facilities in urban areas.

Do you see ethanol as a good solution or what else do you think might fix our gasoline problem?

Since it only adds about $100 to the production of a vehicle to make it flex-fuel compatible, all vehicles should be made flex-fuel compatible – increasing our purchase options at the pump. Also, all hybrids including revolutionary plug-in designs (PHEVs) should be made flex-fuel compatible. If so, a 100mpg PHEV running on E85 would get about 500 miles for each gallon of gasoline. Just the threat of that kind of competition should depress the price of gasoline. Not to mention the positive impact on the environment since ethanol runs cleaner than gasoline.

]]> By: Berkana http://persistenceunlimited.com/2006/04/ethanol-to-supplementreplace-gasoline/comment-page-1/#comment-706 Berkana Sat, 22 Apr 2006 12:47:12 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/?p=453#comment-706 Ethanol has a lower energy density than gasoline: 1.6 gallons of ethanol to every gallon of gas. It has a higher octane rating, but unless an engine is designed to use ethanol exclusively, it won't benefit from ethanol's ability to take higher compression (which leads to greater efficiency; gasoline vapors will spontaneously combust if compressed to the pressures that ethanol works best at, causing uncontrollable engine knocking.) Ethanol also happens to be a corrosive solvent; older cars may have tubing and gaskets that ethanol will dissolve, so you can't just substitute ethanol for gas; your car has to be specially fitted with ethanol compatible infrastructure. Ethanol has a lower energy density than gasoline: 1.6 gallons of ethanol to every gallon of gas. It has a higher octane rating, but unless an engine is designed to use ethanol exclusively, it won’t benefit from ethanol’s ability to take higher compression (which leads to greater efficiency; gasoline vapors will spontaneously combust if compressed to the pressures that ethanol works best at, causing uncontrollable engine knocking.)

Ethanol also happens to be a corrosive solvent; older cars may have tubing and gaskets that ethanol will dissolve, so you can’t just substitute ethanol for gas; your car has to be specially fitted with ethanol compatible infrastructure.

]]> By: Chris http://persistenceunlimited.com/2006/04/ethanol-to-supplementreplace-gasoline/comment-page-1/#comment-705 Chris Fri, 21 Apr 2006 23:56:24 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/?p=453#comment-705 In the UK gas is about 2 or 3 times the price paid in the USA, mostly due to the tax the government puts on it! I would love an alternative! Some poeple in the UK are trying to form a co-operative to negotiate a better discount, check out www.PipelineCard.org maybe you could try it in the USA? In the UK gas is about 2 or 3 times the price paid in the USA, mostly due to the tax the government puts on it! I would love an alternative! Some poeple in the UK are trying to form a co-operative to negotiate a better discount, check out http://www.PipelineCard.org maybe you could try it in the USA?

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