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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