I have this "dumb" question .. but it's always buggin' me. Ethanol is always spoken of as "not energy efficient". I take to mean that more energy needs to be poured in than comes out in the form of ethanol.
Got THAT. Makes sense ... since ethanol is sort of an "energy carrier" .... energy-in minus less-than-100%-efficiency equal smaller energy-out. My dumb question is that ... why not build a AE power plant next to it?? Like a solar, hydro, wind or whatever?? Then use the ethanol as an "energy carrier". To "liquefy" the AE's output to a storable form. I can't understand why the argument goes to "not energy efficient" ....and then DIES right there. I mean, the ethanol plant is a stationary plant ... it doesn't move anywhere!! My second thing is just a comment. They always say that "the emission controls with ethanol would be more complicated". But I think that's only because the vehicle is trying to be dual-fueled. I used to work on LPG/gasoline vehicle and the only reason for the complication is that the emission controls had to switch back -n- forth when it is dual-fueled. I think if it were only optimized for one fuel (like ethanol, things would be just fine. Curtis --- Jeremy Shuey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ----------snip---------------- Ethanol is an alcohol fuel (and motor-fuel additive derived from corn; thus it is touted as a way to help end America's dependence upon Middle Eastern oil, as well as a means of helping the environment. But ethanol is no environmental panacea; nor is it energy-efficient. Far from it. Producing ethanol is costly and complex, and uses up more oil-based energy resources than the gasoline and other motor fuels it would ostensibly replace. And burning ethanol in an internal-combustion engine creates environmental problems, too, which add to the complexity of the air-quality problem by throwing yet another variable into the emissions-control equation. Multiple types of fuel, and different requirements regarding fuel additives, make it harder for the auto industry to develop effective new emissions-control equipment. Different fuel types and additive packages can (and do) compromise the effectiveness and long-term durability of the emissions-control equipment already in service. ===== Join the Revolution! http://thincnet.com/revolution9/downline/vdownline.html?9107 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Kwick Pick opens locked car doors, front doors, drawers, briefcases, padlocks, and more. On sale now! http://us.click.yahoo.com/ehaLqB/Fg5DAA/Ey.GAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
