(E85) Mythbusters on Ethanol
08-08-08, 07:36 PM
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(E85) Mythbusters on Ethanol
Mythbusters on Ethanol (E85)
Mythbusters
Ethanol-blended gasoline powers cars and trucks hundreds of thousands of miles across the United States each and every year. In fact, it has powered vehicles through more than 2 trillion miles in the past 25 years. It is proven to decrease air pollution, enhance engine performance and boost local, regional and national economies. Every major automaker approves and warrantees its use. Even so, there's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there. The truth is ethanol is economical, efficient and earth-friendly, and in North Dakota, it's good for all of us. Get the facts, and GoE!
Myth: Ethanol makes your engine run hotter.
Fact: There's a reason many high-powered racing engines run on pure alcohol. It combusts at a lower temperature, keeping the engine cooler. Ethanol, a form of alcohol, in your fuel does the same for your engine.
Myth: Ethanol is bad for fuel injectors.
Fact: Olefins in gasoline cause deposits that can foul injectors. By comparison, ethanol burns 100 percent and leaves no residue, so it cannot contribute to the formation of deposits. Fact is, ethanol actually keeps fuel injectors cleaner and improves performance. What's more, ethanol does not increase corrosion, and it will not harm seals or valves.
Myth: Ethanol plugs fuel lines.
Fact: Ethanol actually keeps your fuel system cleaner than regular unleaded gasoline. In dirty fuel systems, ethanol loosens contaminants and residues and they can get caught in your fuel filter. In older cars, especially those manufactured before 1975, replacing the filter will solve the problem. And if you continue to use ethanol-blended gasoline, your filter will remain cleaner for improved engine performance.
Myth: Ethanol isn't safe for older vehicles.
Fact: Many older cars were designed to run on leaded gasoline, with the lead providing necessary octane for performance. However, even dramatic changes in gasoline formulation over the past few years have not affected older engine performance. Ethanol, a natural, renewable additive, raises octane levels by three points and works well in older engines.
Myth: Ethanol harms small engines, like those on lawn mowers, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and recreational vehicles.
Fact: Small engine manufacturers have made certain that their engines perform with gasoline that contains oxygenates such as ethanol. Fact is, ethanol-blended fuel can be used safely in anything that runs on unleaded gasoline.
Myth: Ethanol actually increases air pollution.
Fact: There can be no increase in emission from ethanol-blended fuels; it's the law. In fact, ethanol reduces carbon monoxide emissions by as much as 25 percent and displaces components of gasoline that produce toxic emissions that cause cancer and other diseases.
Myth: Ethanol contributes to global warming.
Fact: The energy balance for ethanol is positive, 1.35 to 1, so the greenhouse gas benefits of ethanol are also positive. Fact is, using ethanol produces 32 percent fewer emissions of greenhouse gases than gasoline for the same distance traveled.
Myth: It takes more energy to produce ethanol than it contributes.
Fact: Fact is, corn plants efficiently collect and store energy, so for every 100 BTUs of energy used to produce ethanol, 135 BTUs of ethanol are produced. In addition, ethanol facilities are extremely energy efficient.
Myth: Ethanol production wastes corn that could be used for food.
Fact: In 2001, U.S. farmers produced 9.5 billion bushels of corn and only 600 million bushels are currently used in ethanol production. Fact is, there's no shortage of corn, and the ethanol market could expand significantly without negatively impacting its availability. Besides, ethanol production uses field corn, most of which is fed to livestock, not humans. Only the starch portion of the corn kernel is used to produce ethanol. The vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber are converted to other products such as sweeteners, corn oil and high-value livestock feed, which helps livestock producers add to the overall food supply.
Myth: Ethanol does not benefit farmers.
Fact: Demand for grain from ethanol production increases net farm income more than $1.2 billion a year, and ethanol production adds $4.5 billion to U.S. farm income annually. Studies have shown that corn prices in markets near ethanol plants will increase between 5 cents and 8 cents per bushel. In North Dakota, ethanol production increases the market price for corn by 25 cents per bushel. In addition, ethanol production accounts for a portion of the overall corn supply and helps improve corn prices nationwide.
Myth: Ethanol only benefits farmers.
Fact: The increase in net farm income results in a boost in the agricultural sector that cuts farm program costs and taxpayer outlays. Beyond that, ethanol production has been responsible for more than 40,000 jobs, or more than $1.3 billion in household income. It also directly and indirectly adds more than $6 billion to the American economy each year by boosting surrounding economies.
Sources: American Coalition of Ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Association
N.D. Department of Commerce
1600 E. Century Avenue Suite 2
Phone: 701.328.5300
info@GOeFuel.com
http://www.goefuel.com/facts/mythbusters.html
Mythbusters
Ethanol-blended gasoline powers cars and trucks hundreds of thousands of miles across the United States each and every year. In fact, it has powered vehicles through more than 2 trillion miles in the past 25 years. It is proven to decrease air pollution, enhance engine performance and boost local, regional and national economies. Every major automaker approves and warrantees its use. Even so, there's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there. The truth is ethanol is economical, efficient and earth-friendly, and in North Dakota, it's good for all of us. Get the facts, and GoE!
Myth: Ethanol makes your engine run hotter.
Fact: There's a reason many high-powered racing engines run on pure alcohol. It combusts at a lower temperature, keeping the engine cooler. Ethanol, a form of alcohol, in your fuel does the same for your engine.
Myth: Ethanol is bad for fuel injectors.
Fact: Olefins in gasoline cause deposits that can foul injectors. By comparison, ethanol burns 100 percent and leaves no residue, so it cannot contribute to the formation of deposits. Fact is, ethanol actually keeps fuel injectors cleaner and improves performance. What's more, ethanol does not increase corrosion, and it will not harm seals or valves.
Myth: Ethanol plugs fuel lines.
Fact: Ethanol actually keeps your fuel system cleaner than regular unleaded gasoline. In dirty fuel systems, ethanol loosens contaminants and residues and they can get caught in your fuel filter. In older cars, especially those manufactured before 1975, replacing the filter will solve the problem. And if you continue to use ethanol-blended gasoline, your filter will remain cleaner for improved engine performance.
Myth: Ethanol isn't safe for older vehicles.
Fact: Many older cars were designed to run on leaded gasoline, with the lead providing necessary octane for performance. However, even dramatic changes in gasoline formulation over the past few years have not affected older engine performance. Ethanol, a natural, renewable additive, raises octane levels by three points and works well in older engines.
Myth: Ethanol harms small engines, like those on lawn mowers, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and recreational vehicles.
Fact: Small engine manufacturers have made certain that their engines perform with gasoline that contains oxygenates such as ethanol. Fact is, ethanol-blended fuel can be used safely in anything that runs on unleaded gasoline.
Myth: Ethanol actually increases air pollution.
Fact: There can be no increase in emission from ethanol-blended fuels; it's the law. In fact, ethanol reduces carbon monoxide emissions by as much as 25 percent and displaces components of gasoline that produce toxic emissions that cause cancer and other diseases.
Myth: Ethanol contributes to global warming.
Fact: The energy balance for ethanol is positive, 1.35 to 1, so the greenhouse gas benefits of ethanol are also positive. Fact is, using ethanol produces 32 percent fewer emissions of greenhouse gases than gasoline for the same distance traveled.
Myth: It takes more energy to produce ethanol than it contributes.
Fact: Fact is, corn plants efficiently collect and store energy, so for every 100 BTUs of energy used to produce ethanol, 135 BTUs of ethanol are produced. In addition, ethanol facilities are extremely energy efficient.
Myth: Ethanol production wastes corn that could be used for food.
Fact: In 2001, U.S. farmers produced 9.5 billion bushels of corn and only 600 million bushels are currently used in ethanol production. Fact is, there's no shortage of corn, and the ethanol market could expand significantly without negatively impacting its availability. Besides, ethanol production uses field corn, most of which is fed to livestock, not humans. Only the starch portion of the corn kernel is used to produce ethanol. The vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber are converted to other products such as sweeteners, corn oil and high-value livestock feed, which helps livestock producers add to the overall food supply.
Myth: Ethanol does not benefit farmers.
Fact: Demand for grain from ethanol production increases net farm income more than $1.2 billion a year, and ethanol production adds $4.5 billion to U.S. farm income annually. Studies have shown that corn prices in markets near ethanol plants will increase between 5 cents and 8 cents per bushel. In North Dakota, ethanol production increases the market price for corn by 25 cents per bushel. In addition, ethanol production accounts for a portion of the overall corn supply and helps improve corn prices nationwide.
Myth: Ethanol only benefits farmers.
Fact: The increase in net farm income results in a boost in the agricultural sector that cuts farm program costs and taxpayer outlays. Beyond that, ethanol production has been responsible for more than 40,000 jobs, or more than $1.3 billion in household income. It also directly and indirectly adds more than $6 billion to the American economy each year by boosting surrounding economies.
Sources: American Coalition of Ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Association
N.D. Department of Commerce
1600 E. Century Avenue Suite 2
Phone: 701.328.5300
info@GOeFuel.com
http://www.goefuel.com/facts/mythbusters.html
08-22-08, 10:31 PM
#6
Lives on the Forum
Whether it looks good or bad really depends on who's numbers you read. Some put it as worse than gas for energy and emissions, some better. The fact is that corn based ethanol is at best not much better than gas. What we need to do is separate all the arguments. Much of the push to ethanol is because it makes politicians look like they're doing something for the environment and it allows them to indirectly ???? farmers. Corn (or sugar beet, sugar cane, etc) based ethanol is simply just the best way of making ethanol currently, the future is in cellulosic ethanol, which is much better for emissions and power than corn based ethanol, but isn't without issues, such as removal of organic matter and nutrients from the soil from not composting all the waste plant matter. Ethanol itself works fine, it's just not gas so there's some differences, but there's no reason why it can't work for us all, as long as we can make it sustainably.
08-23-08, 12:44 PM
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Whats funny about that post is that its outdated. I don't know if any of you have noticed but food prices have increased in the past few years due to ethanol production. Not just here but it has started to affect prices globally. True a few years ago this wasn't the case, but they upped production a lot, and the cost of e85 and e100 is higher than petrol... gas mileage is also reduced 
Lastly the amount of energy used to manufacture, transport and distribute the stuff releases more carbon than the fuel itself... so there's still a downside.
If they piped the stuff directly to many stations or if we used electric trains to deliver it, it would be more economical and ecologically friendly.
Ethanol is a possible solution but more work needs to be done to reduce the costs .
Lastly the amount of energy used to manufacture, transport and distribute the stuff releases more carbon than the fuel itself... so there's still a downside.
If they piped the stuff directly to many stations or if we used electric trains to deliver it, it would be more economical and ecologically friendly.
Ethanol is a possible solution but more work needs to be done to reduce the costs .
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08-23-08, 12:53 PM
#8
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Why pay $22/Gallon for race fuel when you can pay $2/Gallon for E85?
Plus, I'm willing to spend a few extra dollars here and there to keep my money from going to the Middle East.
Plus, I'm willing to spend a few extra dollars here and there to keep my money from going to the Middle East.
08-23-08, 12:58 PM
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Did you know that a box of corn flakes has about 1.2 cents worth of corn in it. But yet the box sells for 3.50. If the price of corn increases 10 fold that would still be less than 4% of the cost of the product. I would be willing to bet that the prices at the grocery store are infuenced alot more by the price of diesel fuel than the price of corn. Or course the price of corn is also infuenced by the price of fuel too
08-23-08, 11:16 PM
#10
Old [Sch|F]ool
Mythbusters on Ethanol (E85)
Myth: Ethanol isn't safe for older vehicles.
Fact: Many older cars were designed to run on leaded gasoline, with the lead providing necessary octane for performance. However, even dramatic changes in gasoline formulation over the past few years have not affected older engine performance. Ethanol, a natural, renewable additive, raises octane levels by three points and works well in older engines.
Myth: Ethanol isn't safe for older vehicles.
Fact: Many older cars were designed to run on leaded gasoline, with the lead providing necessary octane for performance. However, even dramatic changes in gasoline formulation over the past few years have not affected older engine performance. Ethanol, a natural, renewable additive, raises octane levels by three points and works well in older engines.
It's not a performance problem, it's a materials problem.
10-18-14, 06:53 PM
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FC rx7 leaning out on ethanol
my 1988 rx7 will run lean running ethanol gas once I put regular gas in ithe fuel mixtures go back to normal.running afc controlle max it out and it still runs lean
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