The cost for producing alcohol is 0,20 $ for litre, or 0,9 kg.
2006-08-11 15:38:25 · 13 answers · asked by tonny s 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
I think the conversion efficiency of alcohol to useful energy is still low. Also the cost may not be cheaper.
2006-08-11 16:33:22 · answer #1 · answered by cjc2002 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well there are something like 500 E85 gas stations in Minnesota today. This is 85% ethanol which will run in flex fuel cars.
I recently saw an honest small company discuss their ethanol production on their web site. They claim that if you take 38% of the energy content of the ethanol, that is the amount of petroleum that was used in order to make the ethanol. So running cars on ethanol will reduce our petroleum consumption, but not by a huge amount.
Brazil does a little better by using sugar cane as the starting point in their ethanol production.
2006-08-11 16:32:59 · answer #2 · answered by Tom H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you're producing alcohol that cheaply you aren't fermenting and distilling it (which is slow and expensive); you're reacting ethene with steam at high pressure. The energy needed to carry out the process, plus the fact that ethene has to be obtained from oil fractions anyway, mean the process isn't worthwhile if your intention is just to burn the alcohol. The only reason it's carried out is to produce pure alcohol on an industrial scale, for use as a solvent, for medical purposes, and for diluting to make cheap vodka (eg. Vladivar- made in Birmingham, so my chemistry teacher told me!)
2006-08-11 15:52:43 · answer #3 · answered by Thinker 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually we do. In thhe new breed of High octane fuels such as Shell Optimax or BP Ultimate (sorry UK centric I know), the 98 or 100 octane is achieved by mixing in a small amount of Ethanol into the petrol.
2006-08-11 23:02:40 · answer #4 · answered by Durkan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We do, well at least slightly. Most gas stations now have around 15% ethanol infused into their gasoline. Whereas Brazil's automoibles are 100% powered by ethanol. The corporations would rather suck resources dry, inlcuding the money in your pocket, than to spend a few million dollars to R&D how to switch the whole country from gasoline to pure ethanol.
2006-08-11 16:16:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Firstly, I question your numbers but putting that aside...
Cheap Oil has delayed Alcohol's popularity...
We are using alcohol in petrol and have been doing so for
many years...
Brazil has been heavily into alcohol as a motorfuel for 30 yrs.
2006-08-11 17:48:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It simply dosen't have the energy that gasoline has, it is more corrosive than gasoline, and engines have evolved on gasoline. Most vehicles will run well enough on a 5% mixture, but much more and the vehicle must be engineered as a flex-fuel vehicle. (And for the conspiracy crowd: Exxon/Mobile doesn't particularly cuddle up to the idea of everyone growing their own fuel.)
2006-08-11 15:51:20 · answer #7 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Wait, 20 cents? Are you serious? I don't know if it will be powerful enough. I guess it has to be powerful enough and at least give you 10 miles per gallon on the average car. I seriously doubt that it'll even run your car very far though.
2006-08-11 15:48:28 · answer #8 · answered by thecookiemonster_01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some countries in S.America do. Made from the residue of the sugar industry I think.
2006-08-13 03:27:16 · answer #9 · answered by mactheboat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'll raise up the chances of blowing yourself if an accident happens. Pronto.
2006-08-11 18:38:32 · answer #10 · answered by sexy_diva 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋