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Re: Ethanol, anyone ?

To: Barney Gaylord <barneymg@MGAguru.com>, Bullwinkle <yd3@nvc.net>,
Subject: Re: Ethanol, anyone ?
From: Dan DiBiase <d_dibiase@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 11:55:21 -0700 (PDT)
Barney Gaylord <barneymg@MGAguru.com> wrote:  At 11:19 AM 5/1/06, Bullwinkle 
wrote:
>....
>Not without a jet and needle change. And then ....

Before you get too excited about switching to alcohol fuel, keep in 
mind that alcohol has about one half the energy content of gasoline, 
so you neeed to use twice as much of it for the same power production 
and travel distance.  When 90/10 gasohol gives 5% less fuel economy 
you might not notice.  But when 85/15 fuel gives 42.5% less economy, 
and you need 74% more of it, you will notice.  Your 27 mpg MG would 
suddenly be getting 15.5 mpg running on E85.  A 15 mpg sport utility 
might go down to about 8.6 mpg on E85..

If a substantial portion of motor fuel use was switched to E85 it 
would recuce the world demand for oil, somewhat.  If successful this 
might bring the price of gasoline back to $2/gallon in the U.S.  Then 
you would have to be able to buy alcohol for $1/gallon at a time when 
there would be increasing demand for it.  Good luck there.

A wholesale switch to E85 in North America has to have a greater 
cause than the price of fuel.  Reduction of reliance on foreign 
supply of oil may be a driving factor.  Increase of total world fuel 
supply could help a little.  Reduction of polution would likely be 
near nil, as modern cars are phenominally clean already, and you 
would be burning twice as much alcohol as gasoline for the amount you are 
substituting.

My  only thought here is that a switch to a different type (or ratio) of  fuel 
would certainly start to drive development of that fuel to perform  better, I 
would think. If it's posed as a way to increase fuel economy  or reduce the 
price of gas, it's probably doomed to failure. But if  it's pushed as a way to 
reduce our dependency on foreign oil, it would  probably be more palatable to 
many. And maybe even force people to  start making different decisions about 
driving and vehicle buying  habits, of their own free will (versus legislation).
  


Dan D 
The Garden State
'76 MGB Tourer - Driver - "On the Road Again....!"
'65 MGB Tourer Project - Yep, still is....
'04 Audi A4 1.8T q MT-6 - quattro, baby! 
NAMGBR #5-2328 
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dibiase/Working_MG_Gallery.html




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