Home Ethanol Production And What Is Involved

The words home ethanol production is creating a buzz all of the USA, because of fears of fuel shortages and price increases, plus global warming and pollution, people are getting more interested in home ethanol production. One thing to take into consideration with the production of ethanol, is safety, so it would be a good idea to get as much information as you can before starting. If your intention is to run your car on it you will probably need to check ethanol conversion kits. Relating to

Home Ethanol Production:

Home ethanol production is considered essential a major deal in the renewable energy debate, and in regards to the issue of homespun ethanol production, there are some facts that should really be known relative to an acre of US corn yielding approximately 7,100 pounds of grain for processing into 328 gallons of ethanol; the energy economics get worse at the processing plants, where the grain is crushed and fermented, as many as three distillation steps are needed in order to separate the 8% ethanol from the 92% water. When adding up the energy costs of grain production and its following conversion to ethanol, it has been found that 131,000 BTUs are needed in order to be able to make just 1 gallon of ethanol; one gallon of ethanol only has an energy value of 77,000 BTU, which is considered as being clearly not good.

Possible negatives with ethanol production:

Figures show that US grain production today erodes the top soil about 12 times faster than it can be reformed or replaced, with irrigated grain using groundwater 25% quicker than it can be naturally be replaced by rain etc. If you add to these figures that corn ethanol costs approximately $1.74 a gallon to produced, in comparison to the 94 cents per gallon that gasoline costs, its clear that more investigation is required before committing more and more remorses to ethanol production.

Therefore, there are so many questions with regards to the production of ethanol and the environment and with regards to life in general, as to whether or not ethanol is the proper choice as renewable energy source; there are actually so many positive factors that stem from it, and yet many negative ones as well, and so this is a matter which is almost certainly going to take some serious time and consideration to accurately figure out. However, there are some top-notch brilliant people in the world who are looking closely into the ethanol situation at this moment, this will also include home ethanol production, and so we can rest assured in knowing that the problem will be taken care of properly.

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Biofuel moves away from food - from wisconsin tribune

Karen Madden, Central Wisconsin Sunday wrote today:
"
While gas prices continue to rise, scientists are attempting to develop the next generation of ethanol from nonfood sources.

Although the reasons for increasing food costs are not as simple as an increased demand for ethanol-bound corn, scientists are looking for other sources for fuel, said Gary Radloff, director of policy and communications for the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The cost of energy has increased from between 18 percent and 19 percent during the past year, while the cost of food has risen 4.5 percent.

"There's no question that, since 2000, we've been growing more corn for ethanol and more soybeans for biodiesel," Radloff said.

The technology for turning corn into ethanol and soybeans into biodiesel is from the 1970s and 1980s, Radloff said. The field for producing fuels from renewable resources is in a transitional phase.

The first generation of biofuels involved things such as burning wood, said Eric Singsaas, associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The second generation is corn to ethanol, and the third is plant matter to ethanol. The fourth generation, the one currently being worked on by Singsaas and his associate, assistant professor Don Guay, involves converting plant material to nonethanol fuel.

Ethanol has two-thirds the energy of gasoline, Guay said. The type of fuel he and Singsaas are trying to develop has more than 90 percent of the energy of gasoline. The two men are developing a process to convert wood into liquid fuel.

"We think it's realistic that we can make a better fuel and do it from plant matter that doesn't come from agricultural fields," Singsaas said.

The basis for the technology is already in place in the paper industry, Guay said. With mills closing in Brokaw, Peshtigo and Port Edwards, the infrastructure is in place, and it would make sense to reopen a mill to make the new fuel, he said.

Singsaas hopes to have the first pilot plant started with the new technology within three to five years.

Coskata Turns Waste to Ethanol

Coskata, Inc. is a biology-based renewable energy company, with technology for the production of liquid fuels. Using proprietary microorganisms and transformative bioreactor designs, the company expects to produce ethanol for under US$1.00 per gallon anywhere in the world, from almost any input material (feedstock).

Tubes packed with bundles of white fibers are the core of a bioreactor, which is the heart of their technology that combines thermochemical and biological approaches to make ethanol out of wood chips, household garbage, grass, and old tires--indeed, just about any organic material.

A partnership with GM has given muscle to the company's emergence, now entering the commercialization stage.

How it Works

Carbon-based material (e.g. biomass) goes in the front end, and is converated to syngas through gassification. At that point, non genetic modified bacteria (anaerobic) convert syngas to ethanol. The bacteria are found in nature and are not dangerous if released.

The whole process, from input to output is only about two minutes.

Making ethanol work! - watch this video

This video shows the places where ethanol work! - Brazil ans Sweden.
The movie present the advantages of ethanol to developing countries, and to the world.



Great movie.

Bio-Ethanol - a scum?

This video suggest that the all ethanol idea is just a scum! but is it?


Well - although ethanol have many problems, it still hold a great premise to the green energy future. The two main problems: mass production and transporting ethanol, ther are going to be technology development that will solve these problems.

Flex-Fuel Vehicles: is E85 Ethanol Based Fuel the First Step to Beating “Oil Addiction”?

by: Dana Buttenhoff


During the State of the Union Address on January 31,2006 President George W. Bush presented a plan to the people of the United States and to the U.S. Congress to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.He spoke of hybrid cars, hydrogen based fuel cell cars and the expansion of ethanol fueled vehicles. The ethanol-based technology is already here, there are already somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 million Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) already on the road in the USA.FFV can run on regular unleaded gasoline or a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent regular unleaded gasoline (known as E85) or any percentage of ethanol and gasoline blend in between.

The expansion of FFV is, in my opinion, an opportunity for General Motors and Ford to step forward and show the American people that they can compete by building vehicles that are friendlier to the environment and not dependent on products imported to us from the politically volatile Middle East.

Ford showed off an ethanol-hybrid SUV this past January at the Washington, D.C. auto show, as reported by USA Today writer James R. Healy. This E85-burning hybrid Ford Escape is part of “a development program, not a research program”, according to Ford Executive Vice President Anne Stevens. This means that the American consumer will find these vehicles in showrooms sooner rather than later.

USA Today writer James R. Healy did a cover story on Thursday February 2,2006 highlighting the message from the States of the Union Address indicating that E85 is not the answer because among other things the infrastructure is not in place, except for the Midwest, and, if you do not own one of the 5 million FFV currently on the road you would need to buy a new car that can use E85. I understand these very valid points but I also must say that it is February 2006 as I write this article and 2025 is still 19 years away. The technology is here; we just need to get on board with the new technology now in order to cut the dependency on foreign oil imports in the future.

In his USA Today feature article Mr. Healy noted that Ford CEO Bill Ford states his company will boost FFV production 25% this year to 250,000. Also noted was that General Motors has pledged to build more than 400,000 FFV annually, starting this year. Noting that a barrel of oil is saved for every 37 gallons of E85 that is used.

Mr. Healy’s feature article raised an interesting point: most cars on the road today in the USA require no modifications at all to run on Gasohol, which is a blend of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. By taking the first step of using the 10 percent ethanol blend we, as the American driving public, can accomplish a couple of things. First we can help the environment by burning a cleaner fuel in our current cars. Second we can give the automakers the acknowledgement that the American consumer is serious about alternative renewable fuel. This perhaps would spur other manufacturers to join General Motors and Ford in offering expanded choices in the FFV line-up. Third this would give production facilities time to tool up as well as a ready and willing market to expand into. Fourth this should help American farmers by boosting the price of corn that is widely used in ethanol production. Fifth this would also give more fuel stations the time to begin making the necessary additions to their storage facilities to accommodate E85 fuel. This will not happen over night but instead slowly over time. The next time you are in the market for a new vehicle a FFV may be a viable choice for you.

The manufacturers will build the vehicles that are demanded by the public. If you feel that an E85 fuel vehicle may fit your needs the next time you purchase a vehicle do your research and do what is right for you. Remember that the flexibility of an E85 fueled vehicle does not restrict your travel to only areas that have E85, because it will also run on regular unleaded fuel. To get additional information you can visit www.e85fuel.com for the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.


About The Author
Dana Buttenhoff has over 20 years experience in the automotive industry. The past 12 years as an automotive service consultant for a European luxury car dealership in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ethanol Distillation Facts

Simon Oldmann

Due to the crazy rise of fuel price and the instability of the fuel market more and more people and trying all kind of alternative fuels, some people are just fed up with spending all their hard earned money to some countries that change the fuel price, usually with reasons that have almost nothing to do with fuel production cost. During the last 3 years there has been a constant and very sharp rise in the price of fuel, some of it was because of the “Katrina” disaster but most of it because of the fuel producing countries controlling this market.
People started understanding that in time the yearly spending on fuel is going to grow to a monster like sum and that it would be nice to cut down these prices as soon as possible, some business saw this trend getting stronger and stronger. Today thee are a lot of solutions for alternative fuel use and production, most of the kits and solution found on the market are definitely working, safe and cut an incredible cost of fuel consumption.
This move to alternative fuel has got some big businesses thinking and suddenly we get a lot of advertisement for self making ethanol and ethanol distillation at home to sell to ethanol users. Since ethanol use is actually being promoted by official the production of the ethanol and ethanol distillation for the public may prove a little more complicated than the privet manufacturing and selling of ethanol, you have to remember that these are still dangerous materials you are working with and that bigger production will ultimately result in bigger machines and much more of these materials use.
There is no wonder that some fear that individuals will experiment with ethanol distillation, imagine someone storing gallons of dangerous explosive materials on their property and the unprofessional way of dealing with these materials. The quality of the final product is also in question, with no formal body governing and regulating the quality this may prove a dangerous product to use, and certainly to try and manipulate. The individual trying to produce ethanol will also need to go through the American Society of Testing and Materials that will show they way to make the right kind of product safely and how to use and keep the materials involved in the proper and safe way.
The self manufacturing and production of ethanol and the process of making ethanol from an ethanol distillation is not something a reasonable person will do, it involves getting permits and going through many check and regulation testing that it is simply not worth the time and effort by an individual, the making of ethanol will eventually result in some find of problem that will probably leave a very bad taste in the mouth of the person who gave this a shot.
For the individual this is a true revolution in the fuel market, you can just get a kit, study the making or buying ethanol basics and you will soon be a part of this revolution, you will probably discover that it is very possible to cut the raging fuel costs and spend it on nicer things, and that in a short time you will be completely independent of gas stations and gas use. The idea of making this a home business is not a very smart move, the licenses and taxes, permits and checks of your distillation station alone leaves you with a low chance of actually making it as an individual.
In any case a person considering to go into the ethanol distillation business would do good to first try and live with ethanol in the first place, so join the alternative fuel revolution and start using ethanol today.

About the Author:Simon Oldmann is an avid writer and a green activist, he has been writing about Ethanol use since the growing popularity of Ethanol these last years.

The Corn And Ethanol Debate May Help Farmers

By: Malc Moore

The US government, have for some time now being giving a subsidy to corn and ethanol production. The reasoning behind helping in the production of corn and ethanol is that it can be used as a alternative to fossil fuels. In turn it is hoped that because ethanol burn more cleanly than petrol that it will help the environment and reduce US dependence on oil from other countries.

With most ethanol that is produced in the U.S being made from corn, although other grains and biomass can be used, there as been a economic stimulation to U.S. agriculture, therefore creating a new market for corn and maize. Estimates have also shown that as many as 10 million acres of land are required to grow corn or maize to produce ethanol.By increasing production in the ethanol industry it may be a means of increasing farmers income as well as reducing farm subsidy payments and also as said before, lessen the dependence on imported fuels.

Furthermore, there is more energy efficiency achieved through use of corn and ethanol and it also achieves a net gain in a better form of energy since converting corn to ethanol means using abundant domestic supplies of coal and natural gas. Some possible negative aspects with using corn and ethanol:There seems to be a problem around the facts and figures balancing in the corn and ethanol arena. Since its requires fuel usage in the first place to grow corn and 1 acre of corn will produce about 328 gallons of ethanol. However, the amount of fossil fuel needed to plant, grow and harvest this amount of corn is about 140 gallons which adds up to $347 per acre. This in turn breaks down to one gallon of ethanol costing $1.05, before the corn leaves the farm.This may be further compounded by the crushing and fermentation of corn at processing plants, all of which consumes energy.

It seems that the end cost of producing ethanol and using corn works out to be more expensive than that of petrol.On a positive note there are a lot of people who state that figures show that corn and ethanol give up to thirty percent more energy than is taken to make it. Also some other figures show the net energy values for corn and ethanol are going up, and the reason for this is that technology relating to corn and ethanol production is getting better.
For more information about ethanol issues go to www.ecoholistic.com