Sick of high gas prices? Make ethanol from sugar in your backyard
If high gas prices at the pump have you down, there are some quick alternatives you can adopt without having to buy a hybrid or bicycle to sooth your fuel woes. Sugar-based ethanol is a fantastic replacement for standard gasoline, can be made for a fraction of the cost of normal gasoline bought at the pump, and can be made in your backyard.
35 gallons of ethanol can be fermented in about a week’s time, according to Popular Mechanics, in the rather sexy-chic pump called the E100 Micro Fueler pictured below. Granted, the pump costs almost $10,000, but about half of it can be subsidized by state and federal funds. Additionally, the cost of sugar can be drastically reduced with carbon trading coupons.
One of the best things about ethanol is that you can mix it with water and still have an efficient and powerful fuel — up to a 70/30 ethanol to water ratio. It can be mixed with gas if you so desire, though why someone wouldn’t simply mix with water (as water prices aren’t spiking) is beyond me.
Ethanol will run in your standard gasoline engine, and won’t damage your engine or your vehicle fuel efficiency. With gas prices as high as they are, it is at least worth considering implementing some sort of alternative fuel method like this until the government can abandon politics long enough to make a sound decision on the next large source of fuel and power for the country.
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May 9th, 2008
Demand $2 a Gallon Gas
Oil hit a new high of $120 a barrel on May 5, 2008.
The cost of making a barrel of synthetic fuel from coal is estimated to be around $55, including the sizeable infrastructure investments and the labor force necessary to operate the plant.
Petroleum poor Germany fueled WWII with synfuel from coal. It is proven technology.
America is the Saudi Arabia of coal with 1/3rd of the deposits on planet. We can eliminate dependence on foreign oil.
Reducing America’s trade imbalance keeps money, technology and jobs here in America.
It is estimated that every billion in trade deficit equals 13,000 American jobs lost. $400 billion for oil last year: do the math.
And we can quit sending those billions to countries that sponsor terrorism.
Synfuels are cleaner burning than gasoline and carbon sequestration can remove the CO2 hot house gases.
Visit http://governor.mt.gov/hottopics/faqsynthetic.asp
Ethanol from corn is a windfall for farmers but is it good for motorists.
After 4 months Congress is already rethinking. Unintended consequences include higher food costs for wheat, chicken, beef, pork, less grain for export, reduced gas mileage and incompatibility with older cars.
Harness your anger at the pump. Call or write your US Senators and demand a Manhattan Project to create an American synfuel industry within the decade.
If you don’t raise your voice the international companies, lobbyist and politicians will assume you are fat dumb and happy and ready to pay even more.
Call you’re US Senators and demand they break ground on America’s energy independence.
Kentucky is breaking ground on two synfuel plants within 90 days.
May 10th, 2008
Nice alternative.
Stumbled!
nhick
http://www.itrush.com
May 11th, 2008
Nice find. Thanks Tristan
May 11th, 2008
What about emissions? Will this be more, less or equal to the current amount?
May 13th, 2008
This crappy article fails completely to say anything about whether this alternative is actually pratical, such as:
- What is the cost per gallon of ethanol produced?
- What raw material does it use? Sugar, like in the sacks from the grocery store? Lawn clippings? What?
- How much, and how often, do you have to feed it?
- How does the thing work? Does it have yeast or bacteria that ferment the stuff? Or is there some kind of high-temperature cracking process?
- What kind of maintenance does this thing require? And how much does it cost?
May 28th, 2008
KoKo – the company has a web site Search eFuel on the web. The cost per gallon is about $1. Sugar or alcohol but mainly sugar. They said you can buy bags at say Costco but they are working on importing cheaper iedible sugar from mexico and distributing it. Maybe 5 cents a lb. for iedible sugar. 470 lbs of sugar for 35 gallons of fuel ( I think – see their web site).
I am not sure on the process. I think fermentation not high temp cracking. Not sure on Maint but cost is $10,000 but there are some tax breaks so maybe $8,000. Michael is right that we have 3x more oil in shale oil in the rockies than Saudis and 3 x more in coal diesel plus maybe 100 billion barrels of oil in N Dakota. Congress (mainly Dems) are fooling around with CO2 and carbon cap & trade plus carbon credits. The whole carbon thing is a scam that Al Gore and his pals will get incredibly rich on. It is a total fraud.
I think these eFuel guys are the real deal with real world Silicon Valley successes. eFuel should do well and good for them. Brazil in cleaning up with sugar based ethanol. The only risk is sugar costs could soar.