Ethanol is a possible alternative fuel to power our vehicles. It has started to get some traction with car makers, and even gas stations are starting to show E85 fuel available in the area. So what is this fuel and are their benefits from using it?
How Do We Make Ethanol?
Ethanol is an alcohol derivative made from feedstock material which is brewed and fermented. It is a similar process to making hard liquor, but it goes a few steps beyond your whiskey without all the extra added time. Burning ethanol is cleaner than gasoline and it comes from a renewable sources. Currently in the USA corn is the main feedstock to create ethanol, but using corn is not as efficient as other sources. Brazil is utilizing sugar base and it is yielding ethanol at a higher percentage than corn.
Why Use Ethanol?
Ethanol is a carbon neutral fuel. Carbon neutral means that it absorbs carbon, when the plant grows, at the same rate that it releases into the atmosphere when you burn it. The octane rating for ethanol is higher than normal gasoline, so it is also a cleaner burning fuel.
Can I Brew it at Home?
Yes, there are companies starting to show the home brew version of ethanol E100 from substrates you have in the house or readily available. EFuel 100 is a standalone ethanol production unit, and it shows promise. You can become your own Ethanol mogul for the neighborhood.
What are the Disadvantages of High Percentage Ethanol?
High percentages of ethanol in the fuel mixture will reduce the miles per gallon up to 30%. Regular vehicles designed to run on gasoline only cannot run on ethanol for prolonged periods, due to the corrosive nature of high concentration ethanol. There is a new brand of vehicles called Flex-Fuel which are made with stainless steel fuel lines to prevent ethanol corrosion.
What is the Advantage of Mid Percentage Ethanol?
It has been proven that mid grade ethanol usage even in gasoline only vehicles promotes improved gas mileage without any problems of corrosion. Our current fleet of cars can utilize this fuel, and reduce our dependency on oil by 30%. Here is the article that shows the tests that have been done by the government.
Image Source
Now that you know that 20% - 30% ethanol is better for fuel mileage, how will you get the right proportions of E85 gas and regular gas into your tank? Below is an ethanol blending calculator
Image Source
So, What is the Big Picture?
Ethanol is a good alternative to stretch our crude oil supplies, but it is not an answer for complete conversion. We do not have adequate farm land or infrastructure to complete convert to 100% ethanol. Fortunately we don't need 100% ethanol, an E20, E25, or E30 mixture would stretch our gasoline supplies and increase our gas mileage.
Currently Brazil mandates a policy of E25 to offset dependency on foreign oil, and an added feature is increased fuel economy.
Ethanol is a stepping stone to the future of automotive propulsion. The future of personal transport is going to be one of the following: full electric, air, or hydrogen vehicles. These vehicles will have to same range and recharging time of our current gasoline vehicles.
