Ethanol Fuel

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Ethanol Fuel

• SPEAR
• April 13, 2009

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Industrial Production
glucose production
fermentation
distillation
dehydration
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Plants Make Glucose

• Photosynthesis
• 6CO2 6H2O light ? C6H12O6 6O2
• Common sources
• Corn
• Sugarcane

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Fermentation

• glucose ? ethanol
• C6H12O6 ? 2C2H6O 2CO2 heat

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Distillation Dehydration

• Removes water

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Industrial Production
glucose production
fermentation
distillation
dehydration
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Combustion

• Glucose is burned to generate heat that drives
  pistons
• C2H6O 3O2 ? 2CO2 3H2O heat

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Overall Reaction

• light ? heat
• renewable energy source!

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Ethanol-Only Engines

• Comparable fuel economy
• Pure ethanol-only engines cannot use gasoline
• Max blend E85 (85 ethanol, 15 gasoline)

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Problems and Solutions

• Cant be transported in gasoline pipeline
• Picks up impurities
• Increased transportation costs
• Poet LLC and Magellan Midstream Partners LP are
  looking into building a 1,700-mile ethanol-only
  pipeline in the US

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Problems and Solutions

• Contains less energy is more expensive than
  gasoline
• High energy consumption to produce
• Less energy ? refilling the gas tank more often
• Processing methods continuously being improved
• Less energy to produce by new methods
• Higher energy content ethanol lower prices

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Problems and Solutions

• Tariff restricts importing cheaper ethanol
• Sen. Gregg Sen Feinsteinn introduced measure to
  remove tariff
• Importing cheaper ethanol would lower price
  further

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Problems and Solutions

• Increased cost of food as more crops are used for
  ethanol instead of food
• New source crops are being looked into
• Sugarcane
• Cellulose sources

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Sources / More Information

• Wikipedia Ethanol Fuel
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel
• Ethanol Myths and Realities
• http//www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may
  2006/tc20060519_225336.htm
• NH Sen. Gregg introduces measure on ethanol
  tariff
• http//www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D970K
  G082.htm
• Poet, Magellan to study ethanol pipeline
• http//www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D96V8
  8700.htm