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Ethanol Research Jetpak


Ethanol fuel in the United States

 
Ethanol use and production in the United States is steadily increasing. Archer Daniels Midland claims to be the largest producer of fuel ethanol in the US, with about 25% of the nation's ethanol production. Roughly 685 gas stations, out of a total of 165,000 carry E85 pumps. Ethanol is predominantly only available in the Midwest and California , where most ethanol is refined. As of September 18 , 2006 in the US, there are 4.93 billion gallons (18.66 million m³) per year capacity for ethanol production with capacity of 2.92 billion gallons (11.05 million m³) per year under construction. [20] For example, the U.S. company Pacific Ethanol is currently building more ethanol facilities in the western U.S. The USDA estimate ethanol from corn cost $1.03-1.05/gallon in 2003-05, compared with forecasts of $1.27 from molasses, $2.35 from US beet and $2.40 from US sugarcane. The price of sugarcane in the U.S. is influenced by strict import quotas and federal price supports
 

WHAT IS ETHANOL FUEL?

 

Ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane fuel that is produced from renewable sources. At its most basic, ethanol is grain alcohol, produced from crops such as corn. Because it is domestically produced, ethanol helps reduce America's dependence upon foreign sources of energy.

Pure, 100% ethanol is not generally used as a motor fuel; instead, a percentage of ethanol is combined with unleaded gasoline. This is beneficial because the ethanol:

  • decreases the fuel's cost
  • increases the fuel's octane rating
  • decreases gasoline's harmful emissions

Any amount of ethanol can be combined with gasoline, but the most common blends are:

E10 - 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline

E10 is approved for use in any make or model of vehicle sold in the U.S. Many automakers recommend its use because of its high performance, clean-burning characteristics. In 2004, about one-third of America's gasoline was blended with ethanol, most in this 10% variety.

E85 - 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline

E85 is an alternative fuel for use in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). There are currently more than 4 million FFVs on America's roads today, and automakers are rolling out more each year. In conjunction with more flexible fuel vehicles, more E85 pumps are being installed across the country. When E85 is not avaialble, these FFVs can operate on straight gasoline or any ethanol blend up to 85%.

It is important to note that it does not take a special vehicle to run on "ethanol". All vehicles can use E10 with no modifications to the engine. E85 is for use in a flexible fuel vehicle, so some people confuse "ethanol" with the blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

 

 

U.S. ethanol production is reaching unprecedented levels. In 2004, 3.4 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in the nation, up from 2.81 billion gallons the previous year. By the end of 2005, the ethanol industry reached a capacity of more than 4 billion gallons. This dramatic growth does not show signs of stopping.

Currently there are 106 ethanol production facilities in the U.S. and 51 more under construction. Dozens more are in various stages of planning.

U.S. Ethanol Production:

Complete list of plants operating and under construction

Today, nearly half of ethanol plants in the U.S. are farmer-owned cooperatives. Additionally, a sizeable percentage of the facilities under construction are also locally controlled.

With few exceptions, corn is the primary feedstock for U.S. ethanol production. Ethanol can also be made from other products such as grain sorghum (milo), wheat, barley, sugar cane or beets, cheese whey, and potatoes. Cellulosic feedstocks such as municipal waste or recycled products, rice hulls, bagasse (fibrous residue from sugar cane), small diameter trees, wood chips, and switch grass may also be used to produce ethanol, but these products are not yet utilized on a commercial scale.

 
 

Distillers Grain is an important co-product of drymill ethanol production. The drymill ethanol production process uses only the starch portion of the corn, which is about 70% of the kernel. All the remaining nutrients – protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins – are concentrated into distillers grain, a valuable feed for livestock. A bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds and will produce at least 2.8 gallons of ethanol and 17 pounds of distillers grain.

Distillers grain can be fed to livestock wet or dry. Dried distillers grain (DDG) is the most common variety. Drying the distillers grain increases its shelf life and improves its ability to be transported over longer distances. If a consistent nearby market can be secured, ethanol producers can supply the feed as wet distillers grain (WDG) . The wet form is not as easily transportable, but the cost of drying the product is removed.

  

Dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) is the form available to the feed industry. The liquid that is separated from the mash during the distilling process is partially dehydrated into a syrup, then added back onto the dried distillers grain to create DDGS.

DDGS is a high quality feedstuff ration for dairy cattle, beef cattle, swine, poultry, and aquaculture. The feed is an economical partial replacement for corn, soybean meal, and dicalcium phosphate in livestock and poultry feeds. Historically, over 85% of DDGS has been fed to dairy and beef cattle, and DDGS continues to be an excellent, economical feed ingredient for use in ruminant diets.

Diagrams:

Dry milling process

Wet milling process

 
Investing

On the Ethanol Bandwagon, Big Names and Big Risks

By NORM ALSTER
Published: March 26, 2006

VINOD KHOSLA was a founder of Sun Microsystems and then, as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm, he helped a host of technology companies get off the ground.

These days, Mr. Khosla, 51, is still investing in technology, but much of it has nothing to do with the world of network computing in which he made his name. He is particularly excited about new ways of producing ethanol — the plant-derived fuel that, he says, could rapidly displace gasoline. "I am convinced we can replace a majority of petroleum used for cars and light trucks with ethanol within 25 years," he said. He has already invested "tens of millions of dollars," he said, in private companies that are developing methods to produce ethanol using plant sources other than corn.

Full Article 

 

 

  

 Vinod Khosla, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, now invests in ethanol. The flex-fuel Chevy Tahoe next to him can run on gasoline and ethanol.