Frank Responds Re: <VV> E85 fuel (NO CORVAIR)

FrankCB at aol.com FrankCB at aol.com
Mon Feb 27 23:49:25 EST 2006


       OK, I checked with some experts (found thru Google) and discovered 
that, contrary to popular belief, ethanol production takes LESS energy than the 
ethanol product contains.  Based on 1995 data, AVERAGE commercial production of 
ethanol at that time produced a product with 38% more energy content than it 
took to produce the ethanol.  However, the BEST producers could make ethanol 
with TWICE the energy content compared to the energy used to produce it. 
       In the 10+ years since, the cost of a gallon of gasoline has escalated 
substantially, while the cost of ethanol has increased only slightly and the 
economics of using a mostly ethanol fuel (like E85) are beginning to look 
better every time the price of gasoline jumps.  There are NOW over 4 million 
flex-fuel vehicles on the roads of the USA.  With computer control they can handle 
any fuel composition ranging from 100% gasoline to E85 (15% gasoline with 85% 
ethanol).  So these cars can fill up with pure gasoline one week and E85 the 
next.  The computers can correctly adjust the fuel flow anywhere from 0% 
ethanol to 85% ethanol, whether it's 23% ethanol or 58% ethanol or 74% ethanol or 
....
       Those who think that hydrogen is a good possibility for fueling cars 
should remember that the nearly all hydrogen (over 95%) is produced by 
reforming natural gas.  Natural gas prices have risen drastically in the past year.  
Retail natural gas used to be about 1/4 of the price of retail electricity.  
Currently natural gas retail price is just about 1/2 of the retail electricity 
price.  And that doesn't even begin to consider the difficulty of moving 
hydrogen gas from the place of manufacture to the consumer's car.
       Plus it would be lots easier to convert our Corvairs to E85 than to 
hydrogen. <GGGGG>
       Frank Burkhard       
       
       


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