Ethanol
...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this study is to determine if the United States can curb its dependency on foreign oil by making ethanol. This study will look at the maximum capable output of ethanol and what that maximum output equates to in terms of becoming less dependant on foreign oil. It will also look at the effects on the environment and how ethanol performs compared to regular gasoline.
With U.S. motorists’ demand for gasoline at 140 billion gallons annually and growing, ethanol’s current footprint of less than 4 billion gallons barely scratches the surface of the vast potential that exists. For ethanol to fuel a major portion of the national market, the industry’s feedstock portfolio must be diversified beyond corn.
Cellulosic biomass, dubbed the most abundant material on earth, holds tremendous promise as a feedstock for ethanol production due to its widespread availability and potential for high fuel yields. Examples of sources for cellulosic ethanol include corn stover, cereal straws, sugarcane bagasse, sawdust, paper pulp, small diameter trees, and dedicated energy crops such as switch grass. Table 1 shows conversion factors for the different feedstocks.
Ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane motor 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, and 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%...
View Full Essay
