Ethanol in gasoline
11-12-2013, 07:28 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Ethanol in gasoline
Heard a news teaser today (didn't hear the entire story) that indicated the government is taking/has taken a new look at ethanol in gasoline, and may decide that it hurts the environnment MORE than straight gasoline.
Haven't most of us been saying the same thing for a long time? 10% ethanol results in about a 10% reduction in gas mileage in my experience ... so the same number of miles burns the same amount of gasoline. And then count the diesel/gasoline that it takes to grow the corn for ethanol, and you have a larger "carbon footprint" (a term that I hate).
Haven't most of us been saying the same thing for a long time? 10% ethanol results in about a 10% reduction in gas mileage in my experience ... so the same number of miles burns the same amount of gasoline. And then count the diesel/gasoline that it takes to grow the corn for ethanol, and you have a larger "carbon footprint" (a term that I hate).
11-12-2013, 09:09 PM
#6
Race Director
Carbon Footprint terminology might be a "Buzz" word but really it is the bottom line.
Something needs to be done.
My Son just got back from the Great Barrier Reef and his would be Son will not have the same experience, the reef will be all but gone, just another generation away.
Something needs to be done.
My Son just got back from the Great Barrier Reef and his would be Son will not have the same experience, the reef will be all but gone, just another generation away.
11-13-2013, 01:48 PM
#8
Drifting
It was supposed to make us more independent from the oil nations of the middle east.
I don't think that anyone ever believed that it was an environmentally sound policy.
11-13-2013, 02:06 PM
#9
Burning Brakes
The ethanol mandate and E85 are fedgov boondoggles that waste tax dollars, food crops, water resources, and cost more in petroleum fuel to produce than it replaces.
There are some 'Racer Ricks' here on the forum that wax enthusiastic about E85. They claim it "makes power," all the while pointedly ignoring that ethanol contains much less BTUs per gallon than gasoline. It is very short-sighted for the 'Racer Ricks' to crank their injector duty cycle way up to flood in an inferior fuel, and call that "making power."
The worst part of 'Racer Rick's' oblivious obsession with false power is that burning ethanol as a fuel has a detrimental effect on everything from corn flakes to beef, from our taxes, to the environment.
A vehicle burning the moonshine fuel gets lower gas mileage. Second, it takes over a gallon of fossil fuel (and 1,700 gallons of water) to produce a single gallon of E85.
So, the street racers demanding that they be able to fuel a street car with ethanol because they want to make more power is self-centered, self-involved, and ignorant of the unnecessary burden it puts on society.
There are some 'Racer Ricks' here on the forum that wax enthusiastic about E85. They claim it "makes power," all the while pointedly ignoring that ethanol contains much less BTUs per gallon than gasoline. It is very short-sighted for the 'Racer Ricks' to crank their injector duty cycle way up to flood in an inferior fuel, and call that "making power."
The worst part of 'Racer Rick's' oblivious obsession with false power is that burning ethanol as a fuel has a detrimental effect on everything from corn flakes to beef, from our taxes, to the environment.
A vehicle burning the moonshine fuel gets lower gas mileage. Second, it takes over a gallon of fossil fuel (and 1,700 gallons of water) to produce a single gallon of E85.
So, the street racers demanding that they be able to fuel a street car with ethanol because they want to make more power is self-centered, self-involved, and ignorant of the unnecessary burden it puts on society.
11-13-2013, 02:39 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
Wow! An intelligent and reasoned response on CF? With reasonably accurate data to boot. The world is coming to an end…
Didn't know that that racer boyz were THAT into EtOH fuel, but you know it's become a political football when NASCAR gets into the fray. Doing their best for the environment going around in circles at 190 MPH getting 2 MPG….but hey, they're using ethanol.
Didn't know that that racer boyz were THAT into EtOH fuel, but you know it's become a political football when NASCAR gets into the fray. Doing their best for the environment going around in circles at 190 MPH getting 2 MPG….but hey, they're using ethanol.
11-13-2013, 06:20 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
Ethanol is pushed by the Agri-business lobby. They haven't changed their stance. They still like the sales and tax dollars that support them.
It was supposed to make us more independent from the oil nations of the middle east.
I don't think that anyone ever believed that it was an environmentally sound policy.
It was supposed to make us more independent from the oil nations of the middle east.
I don't think that anyone ever believed that it was an environmentally sound policy.
A scam from the beginning; another great "progressive" idea.....
11-13-2013, 09:58 PM
#12
Safety Car
E85 is a cheaper alternative than 110-116 octane race fuel and when set up properly (correct compression or added boost) you'll make the same amount of hp. You do use roughly 30% more but compare it at 2.75 a gal vs 9$ for 110+ it's a clear winner for sat night races.
Now running it everyday, no, best to have a set up that will allow you to run pump gas for "normal" driving and e85 on race nights. Boosted car can do this easily but N/a cars sporting 13:1 cr is going to be more challenging.
far as 10% ethanol in our gas, agreed, reduces your mileage, but you have a very slight octane increase too... probably not enough to really make any difference, quick math would indicate a .7 octane increase
Now running it everyday, no, best to have a set up that will allow you to run pump gas for "normal" driving and e85 on race nights. Boosted car can do this easily but N/a cars sporting 13:1 cr is going to be more challenging.
far as 10% ethanol in our gas, agreed, reduces your mileage, but you have a very slight octane increase too... probably not enough to really make any difference, quick math would indicate a .7 octane increase
11-14-2013, 07:36 AM
#13
Race Director
The primary purpose of blending with 10% ethanol is that it is an oxygenate that allows the gasoline fuel to burn cleaner for cleaner exhaust emissions. The oil companies were making and blending MTBE for the purpose of cleaner burning fuel until ground water contamination rightly or wrongly became a big environmental issue with leaking underground tanks in the 90s. The current E10 ethanol blend became the mandate in regions of EPA air quality non-compliance such as greater Houston. Having said that, I am totally opposed to the lobbyists and the EPA that are now pushing to increase the ethanol mixture to 15% simply to displace fossil fuels consumption. Counter productive for all of the reasons being stated in this thread. JMHO.
11-14-2013, 07:52 AM
#14
Team Owner
The primary purpose of blending with 10% ethanol is that it is an oxygenate that allows the gasoline fuel to burn cleaner for cleaner exhaust emissions. The oil companies were making and blending MTBE for the purpose of cleaner burning fuel until ground water contamination rightly or wrongly became a big environmental issue with leaking underground tanks in the 90s. The current E10 ethanol blend became the mandate in regions of EPA air quality non-compliance such as greater Houston. Having said that, I am totally opposed to the lobbyists and the EPA that are now pushing to increase the ethanol mixture to 15% simply to displace fossil fuels consumption. Counter productive for all of the reasons being stated in this thread. JMHO.