"Brad Cloven of Fargo photographed this cemetery near Grassy Butte in western North Dakota while on his way to a recent fishing trip in Montana."
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/full_photo.cfm?id=187631
Posted on 03/04/2007 8:01:09 AM PST by Uncle Miltie
E85 is a loser for reduced miles per gallon, as reported in published articles in recent magazines. Stories published in various magazines, e.g., Consumer Reports, CARandDRIVER, Bioscience, Scientific American, American Scientist and Science in 2005 and 2006 question the scientific and economic validity of ethanol (a mixture of gasoline and alcohol) made from corn grain or other fermentable carbohydrates (CHO).
Alcohol made from fermented cellosic material (wood from certain trees, plant materials from plants such as switchgrass or other grasses, etc. may be more feasible. However, cellosic materials are composed of complex CHOs which must be modified to more simple, fermentable CHOs to produce alcohol, and the needed economic procedures are not yet developed.
A significant fact is that gasoline from petroleum has 115,400 British Thermal Units per gallon whereas alcohol (ethanol) has only 75,670 BTUs per gallon, or, alcohol has only .66 the energy of gasoline.
Further, the energy input to produce corn, such as machinery, fertilizer, seed, etc., and the total process of conversion of corn grain to alcohol and by-products requires more energy than is produced in the ethanol, according to researchers at Cornell University (2007 publication) and others. However, others reported a 1.34 gain in energy from the ethanol from the corn when he included the energy of byproducts.
Two publications, Consumer Reports and CARandDRIVER in recent road tests or on an oval track, in 2006 trials found that E85 (gasoline mixed with 85 percent alcohol) has approximately 30 percent less mileage as compared to 87 octane gasoline. At prices of gasoline and E85 in August, 2006, the fuel costs to travel 400 miles (road) with E85 ($3.99) would have exceeded gasoline ($2.49), or a Tahoe Chevrolet went 400 miles on a tankful of gasoline versus the Tahoe going only 290 miles on a tankful of E85.
The author of the story in CARandDRIVER quoted that the Environmental Protection Agency has reported 28 percent reduction in mileage for E85 as compared to gasoline. E85 provided only 0.67 the mileage of gasoline.
Ethanol from corn has required large federal and state subsidies, a 51c/gallon federal subsidy of alcohol blended with gasoline, plus state subsidies and tax incentives to grow to its present 107 ethanol plants producing 5.1 billion gallons of alcohol in 2006, and growing.
The price of corn has increased
50 percent or more in six to nine months benefiting corn growers. The higher price of corn is hurting livestock producers (beef cattle, swine, poultry, etc.) because the price of feeder cattle has decreased significantly and the price of corn for feed has increased 50 percent in six months.
A potentially more efficient producer of liquid fuel energy is thought to be the “cellulosic” system, or production of alcohol from complex CHOs such as wood chips, plant material from corn stalks, and perennial grasses such as switchgrass. However, a basic problem is the development of enzyme(s) to convert complex CHOs to fermentable CHOs.
Economic transportation of such bulky materials also is a problem. Another problem is that the cellulosic plants will use about 500 to 1,000 gallons of water per minute or 1,440,000 gallons per 24 hours with plants closely spaced due to bulk of cellulosic material. (Says Dr. Thomas Robb, in Farm & Ranch Guide, Jan. 5)
The production and use of biodiesel (diesel from petroleum to which are added modified vegetable oils or waste fats) also have economic problems. Canola oil highly publicized for use now has a higher cost per pound or gallon than diesel fuel from petroleum, $3/gallon wholesale versus $2.47/gallon retail. Canola oil is popular for use in cooking or in foods.
Soybean oil has a lower price than canola oil but now has increased to 28.5c/lb. about 10 percent higher than the maximum, 25c/lb. at which using soybean oil in biodiesel will be economic.
The potential users of biofuels are urged to become better informed about their practical and economic feasibility. Stories in the popular press are mostly very favorable to “replaceable, sustainable biofuels” as are corn growers, speculators and most politicians. Other publications are skeptical to negative about the practical and economic feasibility of biofuels now produced from corn grain and other plant sources.
Carter and Nalewaja are professors emeritus in plant science at North Dakota State University.
Both had distinguished careers in teaching and research – Carter in flaxseed for food and fuel, Nalewaja in development of weed control practices. E-mail ImySm@aol.com
And don't forget, Charles Grassley, Senator from ADM.
"Brad Cloven of Fargo photographed this cemetery near Grassy Butte in western North Dakota while on his way to a recent fishing trip in Montana."
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/full_photo.cfm?id=187631
Which basically says that ethanol is a MORE EFFICIENT fuel than gasoline, based on the BTU/gallon ratios.
The answer to our energy requirments is NOT corn.... Bush is getting poor advice on this... or else, he's jus more interested in the political advantages.
Check the BTU content of butanol. Oh, BTW, it mixes completely with gasoline, ethanol does not.
New York is about to get into this also. Unless there is a major break through, this "alternative" energy source is going to be like paying the minimum monthly on a credit card. It will bleed you dry slowly and you will barely notice.
Has it been proven that you use only ethanol based fuel to farm the materiel, can you produce more ethanol than is consumed? I've seen conflicting stories and nothing I trust.
But it is sold by the gallon, not the BTU. Miles per dollar is the efficiency most people want.
Thank you!!!
They sport these bumper stickers around here that say "No Farmers - No Food."
I've been tempted to plaster one on my truck that says "No Taxpayers - No Farm Subsidies."
"Oops! An INCONVENIENT TRUTH."
I don't see this as a left-right issue. It's become a financial support for Congressmen issue. Follow the money.
The main downside I see for butanol is a relatively high flashpoint. Not really a problem if blending with gasoline.
Can anyone advise what is the difference between regular motor oil and synthetic motor oil? Is a car better off using sythetic motor oil?
I'm reaching way back to my chemistry, but ethanol still will procuce C02 as a biproduct.
Ethanol should be one-third cheaper than gasoline since it is one-third less fuel efficient.
But it actually costs twice as much as gasoline when you factor in all the ridiculous subsidies.
Junk economics; junk science.
The opposite of "green fuel" given the waste of resources.
bump for later
E85 gives you fewer miles per dollar because of the lower BTU value of E85.
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