<VV> Re: (VV) Ethanol?

Eric S. Eberhard flash at vicspdi.com
Mon Jun 20 15:57:18 EDT 2005


There seems to be a lot of confusion on this subject.  It primarily has to 
do with how the engine was designed and built.  An engine that is optimized 
for alcohol would not even run on gasoline.  Conversely, a gasoline 
designed engine will at least run on ethanol if not poorly.  In the old 
farm tractor days and old military vehicle days there were "multi-fuel" 
engines that by changing this or that (which was quick and easy to do) 
would burn almost anything from kerosine to diesel to gasoline to coal oil.

It does not change the fact that the energy per gallon is less.  Having 
said that, BTUs are not the whole answer.  For example, The energy content 
of a gallon of gasoline ranges from about 109,000 to 125,000 BTU. The 
average is about 114,000 BTU. The energy content of diesel fuel is between 
about 128,000 and 130,000 BTU per gallon.  1 Gallon Propane = 91,600 BTUs 
on average.  LPG is 85,000 BTU per gallon, Ethanol 76,335 per gallon, and 
bio-diesel, 128, 450 per gallon.  I guess we should be using diesel and 
bio-diesel more :-)

Oh, for those so interested, below is a complete USDA analysis of the "net 
energy gain" of corn-ethanol as of 1991 -- the final number was someplace 
between and 20-40,000 BTU per gallon.  They also noted that this number 
should only get better.  A news piece I saw on the subject pegged the 
number at 65,000 BTU per gallon as of 1995.  So the old info that it takes 
more fuel to make ethanol than is created is out of date.

http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/pdfpresentations/Net%20Energy%20Balance%20of%20Corn%20Ethanol_Shapouri.ppt#279,20,Slide 
20

http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/pdfpresentations/Net%20Energy%20Balance%20of%20Corn%20Ethanol_Shapouri.ppt#282,26,Conclusions





At 08:14 AM 6/18/2005, James Dallas wrote:
>Yes, a lot of High RPM Horsepower, but virtually no low RPM torque.
>
>Jim Dallas
>MCCA
>CORSA
>
>>From: CorvairEd at aol.com
>>To: ronh at owt.com, VirtualVairs at corvair.org
>>Subject: Re: <VV> Re: (VV) Ethanol?
>>Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 17:43:08 EDT
>>
>>In a message dated 6/16/05 10:10:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time, ronh at owt.com
>>writes:
>>Also, alcohol has less energy per gallon so you will have slightly less
>>power.
>>RonH
>>
>>Actually Ron, alcohol can generate more power than gasoline if you increase
>>the compression ratio to at least 14 to 1 and put much bigger jets in the
>>carbs.  And you are correct that alcohol has less energy per gallon so to 
>>get the
>>HP you want you must burn more of it.  The octane rating of alcohol is so 
>>high
>>you can easily run 18 to 1 compression with a lot of advance and really put
>>out the power but your mileage will be low.  Indy race cars use only 
>>alcohol and
>>you notice how much power they can generate!
>>
>>Ed Corson (CORSA member)
>>Inland Empire Corvair Club
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>
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Eric S. Eberhard
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