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Understanding Ethanol As An Alternative
Fuel For Flexible-Fuel-Vehicles (FFVs)
Automotive :: Alternative-fuel-vehicles :: Fuel-sources
As the issue of global warming and other environmental factors begin to be pushed the forefront of national debate, more emphasis is being placed on the use of alternative fuels in vehicles as a way of reducing harmful pollutants and exhaust emissions. One such alternative is Ethanol, an alcohol-based high-performance motor fuel that raises octane and helps with emission quality in vehicles.
Ethanol is prepared by fermenting and then distilling starch and sugar crops such as maize, sorghum, potatoes, wheat, sugar cane, even cornstalks, fruit and vegetable waste.
Ethanol is oftentimes made with a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline known as E85. In addition to E85, blends such as E95 have even higher concentrations of ethanol. This type of fuel is used to operate vehicles labeled as flexible fuel vehicles or FFVs. FFVs can run on gasoline, E85, or any combination of the two. In-fact, Henry Ford designed the legendary Model T Ford to run on alcohol.
In some situations, a relatively low concentration blend such as E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline) is used, which also serves to reduce emissions. However, due to its large concentration of actual gasoline, E10 is not considered an alternative fuel. The clear and colorless appearance of Ethanol is similar to that of gasoline. In scientific terms, ethanol contains a group of chemical compounds whose molecules contain a hydroxyl group, -OH, bonded to a carbon atom.
When ethanol is blended with gasoline, the octane rating of the petrol goes up by three full points. In scientific terms, the addition of ethanol to gasoline "oxygenates" the fuel, allowing it to burn more completely, which in turn limits poisonous emissions such as carbon monoxide.
Another form of ethanol, cellulosic biomass, one where starch crops aren’t used, is called bioethanol. Approximately 2 billion gallons of ethanol is used every year across the nation. Overall, Brazil is currently the worlds largest consumer of ethanol, with at least four billion gallons of ethanol created each year: Most Brazilian vehicles run on 100% ethanol, with all fuel containing at least 24% ethanol.
The simplicity in the creation of ethanol has to do with the fact that it can be made using any biological feed stocks that contain appreciable amounts of sugar or materials that can be converted into sugar. Corn contains starch that can relatively easily be converted into sugar, and many trees can also be converted to sugar, although with more complexity. The process however, is easy enough that many people make fuel alcohol at their homes and running their vehicles on clean-burning alcohol instead of gasoline.
Once the feedstock is ground up, it begins a multi step process that leads to the creation of ethanol. The bi-product of the grinding process is converted into sugar. The sugar is then fed to microbes that use it for food, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide in the process. The ethanol is then purified to the desired concentration.
A majority of vehicles on the road today are able to use blends of ethanol and gasoline, although most would probably use the lower-level blends such as E10. Since most vehicles are compatible with this form of alternative fuel, ethanol seems to be destined for success in the future. So far, over two trillion miles have been driven on ethanol-blended fuels in the US since 1980.
A positive sign to this trend can be seen in that many newer vehicles can use E85, and are widely available in sedans, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks. More than 5 million cars that can run on E85 have been sold in the United States, even though some of the owners are unaware that they have the option to fuel with E85.
Because of limited crude oil supplies and refining capacity, and rising concern over environmental degradation, there is a solid market outlook exists for ethanol especially as crude oil prices continue to climb, and environmental factors begin to be considered.
Since ethanol can be produced using a variety of methods, the ethanol market offers great opportunities for new jobs and economic growth. Essentially, one acre can raise enough maize to make enough ethanol to drive a vehicle getting 17.5 miles per gallon, about 5,000 miles. In the not so distant future, researchers agree that ethanol will eventually be used as a fuel to produce hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles.
Automotive :: Alternative-fuel-vehicles :: Fuel-sources
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