Can someone give me a background information about ETHANOL FUEL???

Question

Can someone give me a background information about ETHANOL FUEL???

Answer 1

The main problem as I see it is that there is not enough acres in the USA to grow enough corn to fuel the vehicles we have much less the vehicles we will have. So then what? Go to foreign nations for sugar cane to make ethanol? And once again be dependent on other countries for our energy? Bad dog, no bone.

Answer 2

Ethanol is like Alcohol. You can mix with gasoline up to 25% without conversion.

Answer 3

E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline. E85 is an alternative fuel as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. Besides its superior performance characteristics, ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline; it is a completely renewable, domestic, environmentally friendly fuel that enhances the nation's economy and energy independence.

Today, the U. S. imports more than half of its oil, and overall consumption continues to increase. By supporting ethanol production and use, U.S. drivers can help reverse that trend. 85% ethanol can reduce pollution. Government tests have shown that E85 vehicles reduce harmful hydrocarbon and benzene emissions when compared to vehicles running on gasoline. E85 can also reduce carbon dioxide (CO2), a harmful greenhouse gas and a major contributor to global warming.

Although CO2 is released during ethanol production and combustion, it is recaptured as a nutrient to the crops that are used in its production. Unlike fossil fuel combustion, which unlocks carbon that has been stored for millions of years, use of ethanol results in low increases to the carbon cycle.

Ethanol also degrades quickly in water and, therefore, poses much less risk to the environment than an oil or gasoline spill

****************

E85 and the Environment

E85 has the highest oxygen content of any transportation fuel available today, making it burn cleaner than gasoline. Fewer exhaust emissions result in reduced production of smog and a decline in respiratory illness associated with poor air quality. E85 also reduces greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming, as much as 39 to 46 percent compared to gasoline.

Since E85's main ingredient is ethanol, which is non-toxic, water soluble and biodegradable, E85 is simply a better fuel for the world around us.

**************

Energy independence

Energy independence was forefront in the minds of Americans during the 1970s when gas prices soared and lines formed at every gas station. Consumers responded with energy saving practices and smaller cars...and then quickly forgot. We forgot that using less oil is only one part of the solution. Ultimately we need to be more energy independent.

Twenty years later, prices are again soaring and consumers are demanding answers. Well, this time E85 offers an alternative. E85 is a home-grown alternative fuel produced from crops and waste products. It is environmentally good for us -- think of it...turning waste into fuel! It is economically good for us -- stabilizing commodity prices and increasing U.S. jobs. It is good for our transportation needs -- with more than 750,000 flexible fuel vehicles on the market this year.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

E85 and the Economy

As was the case in the early 1970s, the American motorist has recently experienced a new run-up in the price of motor gasoline. The oil shortages of 1973-74 were the result of an embargo; the oil charges of 1991 were the result of the Gulf War; while the price spike of early 2000 was the result of planned supply reductions which increased the price of crude oil from $11 to $32 per barrel. This increased price of imported oil has also been the primary cause of the U.S. balance of trade deficit setting record after record, month after month.

The United States imports over 53 percent of its total energy and uses more energy than any other nation in the world. The use of alternative fuels, including propane, natural gas, methanol, electricity, and ethanol, will all contribute to a reduction in the amount of crude oil used in vehicle operations.

Not only does using E85 help reduce American dependence on foreign oil, but because Ethanol is produced from crops grown in the U.S., it can also help stabilize commodity prices. And because E85 is a viable, home-grown alternative to gasoline, E85 provides competition, which is good for consumers.

In the near future, a wide range of waste products will be used to produce ethanol, further developing our national energy independence.Ethanol production is estimated to increase net farm income more than $4.5 billion. It boosts employment by 200,000 jobs and improves the balance of trade by over $2 billion.The pricing for E85 is comparable to traditional gasoline.

Answer 4

It's supposed to work just like gasoline, but just like diesel, it's not really the same as gasoline.  Instead of running on pure ethanol, cars run on gasoline with some ethanol in it.  Ethanol is the same type of alcohol people drink.  The best way to get it is from sugar, but politicians in the US are forcing us to get it from corn instead to protect US farmers.  This has driven up demand for fertilizer.  I own a stock (TNH) that is shooting for the sky because it makes fertilizer.

Answer 5

It started out as a farm state industry designed to use up corn when it used to have cheap prices. The government gave it subsidies to grow it. Now that gas prices gone up more attention has been given to ethanol to so called "replace foreign oil" which doesn't work because the United States oil production is in a down fall so they have to replace US production with ethanol. Its sold mostly in E10 which is super unleaded basically with 10% ethanol. There is also an E85 out there.

Answer 6

In light of a changing regulatory environment, concern has arisen regarding the future prospects for ethanol as a motor fuel. Ethanol is produced from biomass (mainly corn) and is mixed with gasoline to produce cleaner-burning fuel called "gasohol" or "E10."

The market for fuel ethanol, which consumes 6% of the nation's corn crop, is heavily dependent on federal subsidies and regulations. A major impetus to the use of fuel ethanol has been the exemption that it receives from the motor fuels excise tax. Ethanol is expensive relative to gasoline, but it is subject to a federal tax exemption of 5.4 cents per gallon of gasohol (or 54 cents per gallon of pure ethanol). This exemption brings the cost of pure ethanol, which is about double that of conventional gasoline and other oxygenates, within reach of the cost of competitive substances. In addition, there are other incentives such as a small ethanol producers tax credit. It has been argued that the fuel ethanol industry could scarcely survive without these incentives.

The Clean Air Act requires that ethanol or another oxygenate be mixed with gasoline in areas with excessive carbon monoxide or ozone pollution. The resulting fuels are called oxygenated gasoline (oxyfuel) and reformulated gasoline (RFG), respectively. Using oxygenates, vehicle emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been reduced by 17%, and toxic emissions have been reduced by approximately 30%. However, there has been a push to change the oxygenate requirements for two reasons. First, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), the most common oxygenate, has been found to contaminate groundwater. Second, the characteristics of ethanol-blended RFG­along with high crude oil prices and supply disruptions­led to high Midwest gasoline prices in Summer 2000, especially in Chicago and Milwaukee.

Uncertainties about future oxygenate requirements, as both federal and state governments consider changes, have raised concerns among farm and fuel ethanol industry groups and have prompted renewed congressional interest in the substance. Without the current regulatory requirements and incentives, or something comparable, much of ethanol's market would likely disappear. Expected changes to the reformulated gasoline requirements could either help or hurt the prospects for fuel ethanol (subsequently affecting the corn market), depending on the regulatory and legislative specifics. As a result, significant efforts have been launched by farm interests, the makers of fuel ethanol, agricultural states, and the manufacturers of petroleum products to shape regulatory policy and legislation.

Answer 7

Yes it is a very dangerous fuel. If it is burning in sun light it is difficult to see.