EPA proposing E30 Ethanol blend to enable auto makers to produce higher compression engines for
better performance ... e.g better fuel efficiency.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/04/epatier3hof-20130403.html
As part of the proposed Tier 3 rulemaking on vehicle emissions and gasoline sulfur content released last week (earlier post), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to allow vehicle manufacturers to request approval for an alternative certification fuel—such as a high-octane 30% ethanol by volume (E30) blend—for vehicles they might design or optimize for use on such a fuel.
Higher octane fuels can lead to higher compression ratios which in turn can lead to more efficient gasoline engines and reduced fuel consumption. With turbocharged gasoline engines, there is a double benefit: higher compression ratios and increased boost. (Earlier post.) Having approval for such a high octane certification fuel would, the EPA proposed in the Tier 3 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:
...help manufacturers that wish to raise compression ratios to improve vehicle efficiency, as a step toward complying with the 2017 and later light-duty greenhouse gas and CAFE standards (2017 LD GHG). This in turn could help provide a market incentive to increase ethanol use beyond E10 by overcoming the disincentive of lower fuel economy associated with increasing ethanol concentrations in fuel, and enhance the environmental performance of ethanol as a transportation fuel by using it to enable more fuel efficient engines.
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Squeezing More From Ethanol - NYT
(emphases my own)
Tucked inside the E.P.A.’s March announcement of a plan to cut the amount of sulfur allowed in gasoline was an audacious suggestion that sought to solve all three ethanol challenges at once. The proposal, for a fuel that is 30 percent ethanol, could reduce tailpipe emissions and improve fuel economy — and even encourage drivers to use more ethanol.
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The idea has widespread support among technical experts.
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...various engine and fuel experts like the idea, because the E.P.A. is inviting the auto companies to take advantage of the good characteristics of ethanol, including an octane rating that is well over 100.
“That’s getting smarter,” said Margaret Wooldridge, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan. The way ethanol is used now, she said, “if anybody does notice there’s any ethanol in the fuel, it’s always in a way that is negative.”
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"The idea has widespread support among technical experts." ...REALLY?? YOu wouldn't have known there was any advantages to ethanol to listen and read almost everything said and printed about ethanol over the last ten years or so!
= new reply since forum marked as read
impact on corn prices is greatly reduced by ethanol's forcing down oil prices (which lowers the price of ALL farm commodities - not just corn).
Domesticly sourced oil (called: West Texas Intermediate) for decades sold at a premium (6% to 8%) to oil from anywhere else in the world because it has less sulphur and doesn't require as much refining. Starting around 2005 when ethanol was starting to equal a more significant addition to the domestic fuel supply WTI prices started moving down relative to World oil prices. For the last few years WTI has been selling about 14% to 18% BELOW North Sea Brent (oil from anywhere else in the World). Total price swing there is 20% to 26%.
Big Oil vs. Ethanol
(emphases my own)
ethanol and biofuel production will discipline the market power of oil companies and lead to
lower gasoline prices may strike some as odd, particularly in light of concerns that effort to
use ethanol to reduce oil consumption and import dependence will raise food prices. [/font]
[font size="+1"]Historically the relationship has run in the opposite direction – high energy prices cause higher food prices (see Exhibit 9). The relationship is moderate, accounting for about one third of the variation in corn prices. The relationship reflects the fact that corn production is intensive in the use of liquid fuels and natural gas, whose price tends to track the price of crude.
spot price is around $1.45 a gallon. It is made from Natural gas or coal but can be made from forestry waste and agricultural waste. Methanol could be added to the ethanol we currently are making to make a bigger dent in our gasoline/oil consumption.
The Ethanol Direct Injection engine designed by three MIT scientists, which gets 30% better mpg than an ICE using gasoline, while using 5% ethanol (directly injected) can use methanol as well. the marginal cost of this engine is about $1,000 to $1,500 a copy. Thus, much more affordable for consumers and that means much more rapid adoption than vehicles costing $4,000 more (hybrids) to $15,000 more for Plug-ins. Since we are virtually out of time to hope to ever turn GWing around, speed of adoption is critical. You can replace the fuel cars burn much faster than you can replace the cars that burn the fuel.
We could make enough methanol to replace ALL THE GASOLINE WE BURN. Think what that would do for energy security and to protect our economy from the relentless rise in the price of oil and the very likely possibility of oil supply disruptions (middle East: Syrian civil war, increased influence of Iran).
I doubt if anything like an actual POLICY or program to incentivize and facilitate E30 or Ethanol/Methanol 30% pumps will happen which would incentivize auto manufacturers to build cars which can take advantage of ethanol/methanol's higher octane. Big Oil can pretty much call the shots in Washington. Look how thoroughly bamboozled they have 99% of the public re ethanol's attractiveness as a fuel!
But we won't do anything until our economy is in a deep hole from the price of oil going through the roof. Wish I was wrong but with the Middle East falling apart that is a very likely scenario.
but, most will drift along with: "What? me worry?"
