Ed,
I just work from the best info at hand. I'm not worried. Your point
about high-compression engines and engine re-design is interesting. My
initial thought is that it would take a transformation in the auto
industry, either from inside or from a start-up company, to "fuel" that
change, assuming that it is backed by good research. I haven't seen the
research, so if you know of good sources on engine designs and ethanol
emissions, I'd like to know about them.
Meanwhile "Detroit" (if that's still a valid figure of speech for the
auto industry) is bent on hybrids and gas fuel. Maybe the Volt will lead
to some changes.
A lesson from my area of expertise is that very large social entities
are nearly always slow to respond, even after the crisis has hit. Small
groups - villages, small businesses, whatever - are much quicker to
anticipate problems, adjust on the spot, dampen a crisis, and respond
effectively afterwards. It's a lesson that is almost lost in world of
big governments and big corporations and global economics. Many
ecological anthropologists would say that large scales reduce
adaptability almost by orders of magnitude.
It would be good if all parts of federal government (not just the usual
scapegoats, such as EPA and FDA) could get the small-scale innovative
drive concept through their heads. New Orleans would be better off, we
would have had more fuel efficient vehicles years ago, etc., etc.
Lee
-----Original Message-----
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ed Woolsey
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2010 5:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: biomass, corn stover, and the new wave of synthetic biology
Lee:
No worries. I always enjoy some discussion on the subject.
This is
one of those topics where you've always needed to follow WHO pays for
these
studies, and, the strings that come attached, attached to so many of our
academics today. With most of these AQ tests there were always
"agendas".
I fear that this is one of the main reasons that the enviro community is
so
skeptical of ethanol.
Ethanol does not have the energy (btu's) per gallon of gasoline.
73,000 vs 115,000. or about 30% less...so Gerald...I'm not sure how you
would
drop 10% or Lee...you would drop...30-40%. 9X115,000 plus 1x73,000 for
E10 and 10x115,000 for straight gasoline. I'm calling BS....ok...a
little BS.
Gasoline is REFORMULATED for cold weather conditions. The use of
lighter
components (volatile that start easier) would lower the total btu's in
your
winter blend. Or, gasoline companies would have an economic incentive
to
dump lower grade gasoline and boost it more than 10%vol. Perhaps we
need
to monitor the blends more.
Other related issue is the use of ethanol octane...110 vs gasoline's 85
or a
little higher. Octane is an indicator of how efficiently the fuel
combusts.
Because ethanol has a higher octane you can use it in the higher
efficiency
engines. (diesel) Ethanol likes 16 to 1 and the current engines are
about 8.5
to 1. Ethanol is short shifted big time. Boosting the compression
ratio for the
fuel results is something like 25% greater fuel efficiency. (If anyone's
interested they can look it up or I can find it somewhere) Oh, and the
reduced efficiency leads to what???? yes...more pollutants.
Short story long....what we should be using is about 80%ethanol 20%
water
mixture in a higher compression engine...tuned for the fuel. Then lets
see that
AQ study....ethanol will smoke any fossil. (pun intended) e
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]
Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp
Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship
e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's
latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent
editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]
Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp
|
