We are in agreement on most of your argument, Jed. However, burning of the 32 lbs of starch or glucose in a bushel of corn at a LHV of 6,530 BTU/LB in a compression ignition engine, give ~209,000 BTU/Bu without all of the production energy and political pork required for fuel ethanol.
Same argument applies to cellulose derived from waste straw and corn stover. If Nature produces 253 Billion Tons annually..... go figure. :-) Frederick http://www.texascorn.org/questions%20of%20the%20week.html http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/feedstock_glossary.html Jed wrote: > > Correction. I wrote: > > P&P, p. 263: "Even when the energy in byproducts is included, the energy > output from ethanol production ranges from 8,700 BTU to 108,000 BTU per > gallon, compared with more than 131,000 BTU . . ." > > That should be 87,000 BTU to 108,000 BTU. > > The actual heat output from the ethanol is 76,000 BTU. The other energy is > from leftovers that can be used for things such as animal feed. > Snip > > Jed
