aRBy
Veteran Author
Grand Rapids
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Message Posted: Apr 27, 2012 10:49:19 PM
Ethanol is one of several alcohol (and alcohol based) fuels that are the answer. Methanol and Butanol are also alcohol fuels that offer answers to bringing competition to bear on OPEC-dominated gasoline producers.
Another very exciting alternative fuel is dimethyl ether (DME). DME is a diesel fuel substitute and can be made from natural gas and methanol. The EPA has been making life miserable for diesel engine companies. DME has a higher Cetane rating and burns much cleaner than diesel. Alas, it has the same drawback as Methanol in that it doesn't have all the fuel mileage that diesel fuel has. That being said, this is not an insurmountable problem; not at all. So DME deserves more attention.
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timmyC4
Veteran Author
Twin Cities
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Message Posted: Apr 27, 2012 3:55:02 PM
Nope.
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fatfed
Champion Author
San Antonio
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Message Posted: Apr 27, 2012 11:12:14 AM
no
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James48843
Veteran Author
Michigan
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 7:23:14 PM
Is it THE answer? No.
Is it PART of the answer? Absolutely yes.
GASOLINE. ETHANOL. NATURAL GAS. ELECTRIC FROM WIND, SOLAR, NUCLEAR, COAL, WOOD, HEMP, BIODIESEL will all be a portion of the answer.
In that context, yes, ethanol will be around for a long time.
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timmyC4
Veteran Author
Twin Cities
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:56:11 PM
It could be, if there were no subsities.
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tattoo666TX
Champion Author
Texas
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:19:22 PM
They need to get rid of ethanol!
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thekarmann
Rookie Author
Twin Cities
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:01:16 PM
making fuel from a crop the ingredients of which show up in 30% of what we eat is crazy!
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Shockjock1961
Champion Author
Illinois
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 2:44:40 PM
Canada's ethanol boom, minus the boom
"Bruce Orr, a former Ontario government biofuels adviser, said Iogen and other cellulosic ethanol makers still face tremendous hurdles in scaling up from small demonstration plants because their enzymes simply don't break down the cellulose into ethanol efficiently enough. "There has been a lot of hyperbole about cellulosic ethanol, but there are still a lot of doubts [the Iogen project] will ever happen."
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Shockjock1961
Champion Author
Illinois
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 2:40:28 PM
"Iogen has had a cellulosic ethanol plant up and running since 2004"
It's a demonstration plant. Without handouts, it probably would not be running at that level...
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reb4
Champion Author
Chicago
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 2:32:33 PM
The Iogen plant has not produced enough ethanol from the demonstration plant to make much of a difference...
mr157ifhz, in 8 years the plant has produced avg. 72K a year.
And they appear to be ramping down... And appears as though no news, at least from their website..
Maybe they need more investments ???
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mr157ifhz
Sophomore Author
Gasbuddy
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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 7:40:35 AM
'Because, to date, the technology has failed to pan out. '
~Iogen has had a cellulosic ethanol plant up and running since 2004. The tech is here - something else is at work. politics?
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Shockjock1961
Champion Author
Illinois
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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 9:39:18 PM
"Why aren't we seeing more cellulosic ethanol plants?"
Because, to date, the technology has failed to pan out.
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reb4
Champion Author
Chicago
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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 8:54:50 AM
If you mean is ethanol going to be fueling vehicles for the next 100 years, highly doubtful.
100 years is a long time... away..
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mr157ifhz
Sophomore Author
Gasbuddy
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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 7:39:34 AM
I think it will be here for a lot longer than 100 years. Agree with rumbleseat, it is a good step to future technologies.
Ethanol from cellulose would end any food-vs-fuel controversy, and make the obsolete more-energy-in-than-out argument even more so. Why aren't we seeing more cellulosic ethanol plants? Resistance from the oi industry is almost expected, but what about from the ethanol industry itself? Big oil and big ag teaming up?
We make all kinds of stuff from oil, so gasoline (as a byproduct) will be around for a long time yet. However, even if abiotic oil (renewable, not fossil) is true, we do need to start using a much cleaner alternative for transportation fuel. Ethanol CAN be the answer.
-Matt
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rumbleseat
Champion Author
Winnipeg
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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 3:04:29 AM
As we know it, it will be here as long as necessary.
As we know it, it is NOT the solution, but it is an important step along the way. Continued research and development will improve efficiency of conversion, and bring forth new materials that can be converted into fuel, and, of course possible other compatible fuels for automotive use.
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