Is petroleum use in ethanol and fuel cells?

Question

Is petroleum use in ethanol and fuel cells?

Answer 1

Not really. Ethanol is derived from plant materials and fuel cells often use electricity

Answer 2

Yes

In the making of the containers it is made and stored in and transportation.  Also the heating for the fermentation cycle and distilling for ethanol.

Answer 3

ethanol - yes

fuel cells - not in the fuel cell itself, but fossil fuels maybe used to create the fuel used in the fuel cells.

Answer 4

oh yeah. In fact it takes 1.29 units of energy to make 1 unit of ethanol.  Ethanol absorbs water and breaks down very easily so it can not go down the pipelines and must be shipped by train or truck.

http://petroleum.berkeley.edu/papers/pat...

Here is what the expert patzek says.  This is a quote

According to his research, more fossil energy is used to produce ethanol than the energy contained within it.

This is the article

http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/labnotes/030...

Answer 5

It can be but doesn't necessarily have to be.

Answer 6

The main argument against ethanol always has been that producing it uses up almost as much energy as the finished product contains. This is called ethanol’s “net energy balance.” Most ethanol facilities use one unit of energy to make about 1.6 units. Through various efficiencies, incredibly, Corn Plus has improved that ratio to about one to six.

And the proof is right here:

http://www.connectbiz.com/stories/moonsh...

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/12/...