You are here: Forums Hybrid Vehicles Ethanol - E85 FlexFuel The Inconvenient Truth About Ethanol

The Inconvenient Truth About Ethanol

921 messages,  Last post on Oct 07, 2009 at 10:53 AM

You are in the Ethanol - E85 FlexFuel Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Alternative Fuels

Messages Page 79 of 93 1 ... 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 ... 93 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

#777 of 921 Re: No pluses and a Net Negative [morin2] by cvs20 May 25, 2009 (5:18 pm)
Replying to: morin2 (May 25, 2009 9:59 am) Yeah, alcohol is corrosive to unprotected steel parts, and also is hazardous to most common, low priced, seals and other elastomer components. Tends to leach out the "plasticizers" leaving the parts brittle.   It is also hygroscopic (absorbs water and often used to clean up accumulated fuel tank water), but then is quickly burned through the engine with little to no residue, but a tank full including absorbed water will further reduce economy.   Theoretically, E10 performance should be 95% that of gasoline. Which means that my well designed 30 mpg car should only get 28.5 mpg with E10. This is where I DO run many times on the highway. Sometimes it drops to around 27 mpg, and that REALLY ticks me because I got stuck with expensive watered-down blended fuel !!!   It takes 1.50 gallons of ethanol (E100) to equal 1 gallon of gasoline. It takes 2.00 gallons of methanol (M100) to do the same.   Best thing about either is you can extinguish a fire using only water !!
#778 of 921 Re: #772 and #773 [cvs20] by gagrice May 25, 2009 (5:19 pm)
Replying to: cvs20 (May 25, 2009 4:25 pm) When things get really bad, we could use 1 acre of land for food, and one to drink!   Sadly the price of exporting corn to Mexico is so high that the farmers are digging up the blue agave and planting corn. No blue agave no good tequila. Now if that ain't a serious problem I don't know what is. Replies to this message: cvs20 (May 26, 2009 5:24 pm)
#779 of 921 Re: What amazes me [pf_flyer] by colloquor May 26, 2009 (6:27 am)
Replying to: pf_flyer (May 25, 2009 6:45 am) FWIW... here in central Illinois, 10% ethanol blended gas has been around since the mid-80s. It's almost impossible to buy gas in this area without 10% ethanol. Only one station that I was aware of in the Champaign-Urbana area offered non-ethanol blended gasoline, and now that station has switched to 10% ethanol blend too. For most of midwesterners, 10% ethanol blended gas is a way of life, and has been for over 2 decades. Replies to this message: gagrice (May 26, 2009 7:03 am) jkinzel (May 26, 2009 8:23 am) gagrice (May 26, 2009 1:49 pm) jkinzel (May 26, 2009 3:43 pm) morin2 (May 26, 2009 6:56 pm)
#780 of 921 Re: What amazes me [colloquor] by gagrice May 26, 2009 (7:03 am)
Replying to: colloquor (May 26, 2009 6:27 am) In the late 1970s they were lacing gas with ethanol in MN. We know how that experiment ended in the early 1980s. 90+ towns devastated by closing the Corn Ethanol stills and laying off 100s of workers.
#781 of 921 Re: What amazes me [colloquor] by jkinzel May 26, 2009 (8:23 am)
Replying to: colloquor (May 26, 2009 6:27 am) 10% ethanol blended gas is a way of life,   10% ethanol is also a way of life in the state of Washington thanks to the dictatorship of our Governor. If I could find pure gasoline, I would drive some distance to get it. Replies to this message: gagrice (May 26, 2009 1:49 pm) jkinzel (May 26, 2009 3:43 pm) morin2 (May 26, 2009 6:56 pm)
#782 of 921 Re: What amazes me [jkinzel] by gagrice May 26, 2009 (1:49 pm)
Replying to: jkinzel (May 26, 2009 8:23 am) Luckily you have a diesel car to beat the odds on ethanol laced gas. Replies to this message: jkinzel (May 26, 2009 3:43 pm)
#783 of 921 Re: What amazes me [gagrice] by jkinzel May 26, 2009 (3:43 pm)
Replying to: gagrice (May 26, 2009 1:49 pm) Yes, it is nice to have a choice in gas or diesel, but I would still like to have a source of pure gas to run the mowers, chainsaw, etc. and yes, put in the car.
#784 of 921 Re: #772 and #773 [gagrice] by cvs20 May 26, 2009 (5:24 pm)
Replying to: gagrice (May 25, 2009 5:19 pm) That is a SERIOUS issue about the tequila !! Blue agave makes GREAT fuel for dating!
#785 of 921 Re: One of the pluses... [bpizzuti] by cvs20 May 26, 2009 (5:37 pm)
Replying to: bpizzuti (May 25, 2009 8:13 am) You can't make ethanol from wood chips, switch grass, etc. It WILL make methanol (wood alcohol), but it is a lower energy fuel than ethanol.   It takes 2.00 gallons of methanol to replace 1.00 gallon of pure gasoline. It takes ONLY 1.50 gallon of ethanol to do the same thing.   Besides, if your vehicle breaks down, you can"t drink the methanol! Replies to this message: texases (May 26, 2009 6:03 pm)
#786 of 921 Re: One of the pluses... [cvs20] by texases May 26, 2009 (6:03 pm)
Replying to: cvs20 (May 26, 2009 5:37 pm) Not yet for ethanol from cellulose, but that's the great 'hope' that's been used by some to justify the disaster that is corn-based ethanol. And it you think ethanol is corrosive? Methanol's way worse, would require complete refitting.

Messages Page 79 of 93 1 ... 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 ... 93 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

You are here: Forums Hybrid Vehicles Ethanol - E85 FlexFuel The Inconvenient Truth About Ethanol