>I’m not quite sure what the significance of your 506,218.5 number is. If you’re looking for btu’s per mile, you would divide, not multiply, 138,690 by 3.65.
138,690 / 3.65 = 37997
You might be right, let’s check:
If 1 Ga = 138,690 BTU, then 138,690 BTU / 1 Ga is our conversion factor.
So then to get BTUs/Distance we need to multiply X Ga/Distance.
Ok, so we need to take the reciprocal of 3.65 and multiply it: 3.65^-1 ~= 0.2739 [M/G -> G/M]
So we multiply THAT by the 138,690 BTU/G, the G cancel out and we get BTU/M: 138,690 * 0.2739 = 37,997
Yep, everything checks.
So, can we call it 38,000 BTU/M?
>In Northeastern Indiana, there are at least 4 ethanol plants within 50 miles of the largest racking terminal; its not like we’re moving from the Persian Gulf to the US eastern seaboard here.
True, but we’re talking about the impact of the transport-cost; even that 50 miles, multiplied by 38,000 BTU/M yields: 1,900,000 BTU transport cost.
Dividing THAT by the 30,000 Gallons gives us a 63 BTU/G cost applied to the costs of production-&-transport.
63/9,953 ~= 0.006; that’s more than half a percent! —— 63/4,897 ~= 0.013; in excess of 1%
{9,953 is our excess produced BTUs for the Dry milled Ethanol production; 4,897 for Wet}
Then there’s the transport from mixing to the fuel terminal to calculate and subtract from BTUs gained.
Then, if we were really researching the comparative efficiencies of production-&-transports on other fuels, like say Diesel; and we could compare which is actually better on this scale.
Somehow I think all the trouble caused by using Ethanol (gaskets, metal-wear, extended infrastructure, bureaucratic government involvement, etc} really don’t justify production of a 4,897..9,953 MAXIMUM gain in BTUs/Gallon. {That is to say, I’m leaning toward the idea that our energies would be better expended elsewhere: like R&D/production of Diesel automotives for people; I mean look at the NPGs that train uses... how would a car using that technology compare to other cars efficiency-wise?}
{ is our excess produced BTUs for the Dry milled Ethanol production; for Wet}
While subsidies may provide a short term fix, in the long run they dull the competetive edge of the recipient. Amtrak (or GM or Chrysler) are examples of companies who haven't had to face the consequences or the marketplace, have lost their edge and are now as worthless as a bucket of spit.