Ethanol Fuel Solar Power Energy Generation
Guide
Will Ethanol Fuel Replace Gas?
By Genevieve Thomson
Ethanol fuel could very well replace gasoline. It’s
becoming more popular by the day. It is already available
at gas stations throughout the country and the argument
is that it’s a renewable resource.
If this much is true, it is a good choice for an alternative
fuel source in that respect. There’s also an argument
to be made that it’s better for the environment, although
the full scope of the environmental impact of this alternate
fuel technology is still being researched.
Ethanol Fuel Is Made From Corn
You may be familiar with ethanol fuel because it is
really nothing more than good ol’ corn whiskey. You
could actually get drunk off the stuff but it wouldn’t
be very good for your health to drink. It’s made by
an elaborate process that involves fermentation, distillation,
dehydration and denaturing.
All of this is similar to your great-granddad’s moonshine
making process. That old adage about running a car on
moonshine was closer to the truth than anyone thought
all those years ago. However, pure ethanol won’t run
in most engines as it must go through a process to make
it compatible with modern car engines.
Ethanol Is Mixed With Gasoline
In fact, ethanol fuel isn’t made solely from the fermentation
process. It has to be mixed with gasoline to run and
then it’s a tricky process. Get the wrong mixture of
ethanol and you’re likely to have a bad day on the interstate.
But still, it is a viable biofuel that wouldn’t require
everyone to purchase new vehicles or converters.
But is ethanol cheaper than gas? To answer; no. In
fact, it’s slightly more expensive and this creates
a problem. Most people are already fed up with the prices
being charged at the pumps.
Pay More For A Biofuel?
If they have to pay more for a biofuel then it seems
likely they may not be willing to do so. Unless of course
it’s cleaner and better for the environment. Ethanol
isn’t, studies suggest. There is only a minimal differentiation
between the green house gases emitted by gas burning
cars and those emitted by ethanol burning ones.
There’s also the fuel efficiency problem. Ethanol fuel
is about thirty four percent less efficient than gasoline.
That means you’d be putting more fuel in your car more
frequently and paying the same or higher price.
Ethanol Fuel Is Best For Ethanol Engines
Outstanding eh? But there is a major advantage to ethanol.
In ethanol engines, the engines that can burn pure ethanol,
you get considerably higher torque and acceleration
than gas engines would get.
Not to mention and overall increase in the power performance
of your engine. But most of us don’t have ethanol engines
and to enjoy this advantage, we would be forced to replace
our gasoline engines and that would be expensive.
Ethanol fuel is popular, of that there can be no doubt.
But it may not be the best alternative fuel to gasoline
for a number of reasons. When compared to other alternative
fuels it just doesn’t stack up. But only time will tell
if it succeeds gas as the fuel choice.
About the Author:
Genevieve Thomson has written a number of articles on
solar power and renewable energy including
Solar Power System,
Wind And Solar Power,
Solar Thermal,
Alternative Power Systems,
Alternative Energy Sources,
Hybrid
Cars.
Look out for new articles as they become available on
this site.
Little Known Global Warming Facts.....
Are there regulations in place to prevent industries
from polluting the environment?
There are regulations in place
for countries who are members of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and who have
signed the Kyoto Protocol amendment.
The countries agree that they
will limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they
produce each year. Some countries, due to being underdeveloped,
do not have a cap on the amount of greenhouse gases
whereas the larger countries do.
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