[mdlug-discuss] Ethanol vs gasoline economy [Was: [mdlug] Automotive technical info ...]

[Robert Meier]

Aaron,

> I think it's based on a lot of wishful thinking by people who don't 
> understand the thermodynamics, (i.e. McFuel is McFuel mentality), ...

In this we are in agreement.

Gasoline (87 octane), E10 (gasoline + 10% ethanol), E85 (85% ethanol + ...),
are all fuel.  Gasoline (87 octane), E10, E85, are not the same.
I understand "McFuel mentality" as a label for the misconception that
fuel mileage and other properties are invariant between fuel choices.

I heard that the octane rating system and government auditing,
originated when 1920s fuel sellers would mislabel less energetic (and
less costly to the seller) mixtures as octane (C8H18) and charge
the customer the higher price.



> ..., burning food as vehicle fuel is just plain crazy.

Given the necessary and peculiar cost of food purity verification (whether for
humans or livestock),
I'd agree that burning edible food for fuel is uneconomical.

I understand "ethanol advocates" propose processing agriculture waste
that is now discarded, and not processing food or feed.
I understand "ethanol opponents" claim that processing the waste is
theoretically uneconomicial, energy negative, or both.
I understand many observers claim food, feed, and not waste is
currently being processed into fuel.



<IGNORABLE>
Aaron Kulkis Sat May 26 06:15:40 EDT 2007
> I'm not sure why you thought I suggested such a thing ...   oh well.

I apologize that I misparsed your statements.
My goal was to refute the "McFuel mentality".
The relevant excerpts follow.
I parsed "It's" to mean {Ethanol is].

Drew Tue May 8 23:46:00 EDT 2007 
>>>>     Ethanol is a wonderful fuel - provided that it is recognized for 
>>>> what it is, designed for, and budgeted for.

Aaron Kulkis Wed May 9 00:50:15 EDT 2007 
>>> Wrong. It's designed for gasoline, and does a great job at that
>>> (other than a certain political party blocking the construction
>>> of new refineries...but that's not a technical problem, it's
>>> one of economic sabotage by government officials)

Robert Meier Tue May 22 21:28:48 EDT 2007 
>>> Wrong. [Ethanol is] designed for gasoline, ...
>> I understand ethanol (C2H5OH) is not gasoline (a mixture of CxHx,
>> approximating C8H18)
</IGNORABLE>



Mea culpa,
-- 
Dr. Robert J. Meier