ethanol (corn) versus petrol?

Question

Can any on tell me how much corn does it take to make a gallon of ethanol? document your sources please.

doc,
there is no pending report, just trying to find quick and accurate data. but thanks.

Answer 1

Here's a link to a whole story & slide show about the production of ethanol.:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/05/0508_makingof_ethanol/index_01.htm?campaign_id=msnbc_ethanol

for more indepth info you can spend hours, days & weeks at:

http://www.e85fuel.com/index.php
psst..
(if you go to the may 13, 2005 issue of the NEVC FYI newsletter ..there's an article featuring Yours Truly)

Answer 2

The problem with Ethanol (B-5) is the fact that the energy isn't coming completly from the corn. In fact, 10% ethanol is in the current petrol from the pump. The only difference between Ethanol (B-5) and regular petrol is the amount of ethanol in the fuel. There is still petroleum used to produce B-5, but not as much as regular petrol. So, ethanol isn't really the answer to end our oil dependency, but it's a step in the right direction.

Answer 3

An acre of U.S. corn yields about 7,110 pounds of corn for processing into 328 gallons of ethanol.

Or 21.7 pounds of corn to make one gallon of ethanol


131,000 Btu are needed to make 1 gallon of ethanol. One gallon of ethanol has an energy value of only 77,000 Btu.

You do the math.

The average U.S. automobile, traveling 10,000 miles a year on pure ethanol (not a gasoline-ethanol mix), would need about 852 gallons of the corn-based fuel. This would take 11 acres to grow, based on net ethanol production. This is the same amount of cropland required to feed seven Americans.

Hey just how much water does it take to grow 1 acre of cone?

About 900 gals

Do you think this is a good thing to do?

Best case Under the best-existing practices, the amount of energy used to grow the corn and convert it into ethanol is 57,504 BTUs per gallon. Ethanol itself contains 84,100 BTUs per gallon.

Answer 4

There are two main processes used: Ethanol conversion rates using corn as the feedstock are estimated at approximately 2.65 gallons of ethanol per bushel for a wet-mill process and 2.75 gallons per bushel for a dry-mill process.

Answer 5

Well, to produce ethanol you need to clear a wooded area or a grassland (damn the wildlife!), plow the land, irrigate the land by diverting water or depleting the groundwater, fertilize the land (pollution), spray with herbacides and insectacides(more pollution) and process the harvest (more polution and fresh water usage).

If you really hate natural eco-systems and want to convert them to row crops, then you are a fan of ethanol.

Answer 6

Did you know we can still eat the corn - the the stalk is what is fermented not the corn on the cob. That each stalk (there pretty big) produces only one corn on the cob. That ethanol plants can be from grains that grow in sandy soil that are not edible and won't conflict with the volume planted for food. The negative noise is from the oil producers.

Answer 7

Ethanol isn't the best alternative there is. Methanol can even use prarie grass, and is far more efficient landwise. If we're going to do this, let's PLEASE do it right! Also there's no conflict with ATF.

Answer 8

It takes 2 gallons of petrol to produce a gallon of ethanol.

That's all you need to know.

Answer 9

it's like fifty cents. i'm not going to do your homework for you though, you'll have to find your own sources for your report.

Answer 10

ethanol is cleaner and renewable
petrol no as clean and nonrenewable