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Category: Readers' Opinions

Grade E for ethanol

May 08

7:24 AM

As a technical specialist involved daily in the certification of gasoline engines, I see the failure of the promise of ethanol-blended gasoline to wean America off foreign oil while reducing fuel costs.A recent test comparing standard non-blended gasoline with E10 and E25 blended fuel left no doubt about its failure.

In this test, the engine was fueled with non-ethanol 87 octane fuel and was tuned to meet the appropriate specifications.

The engine was then switched to E25 (25 percent ethanol, 75 percent 87 octane gasoline) and restarted. Within 20 seconds of start, the engine failed to make full power, lost speed and quickly exceeded peak operating temperature.

To prevent destruction, the engine was re-tuned to increase fuel flow 30 percent over non-ethanol blended fuel.

If the addition of ethanol requires you to increase fuel by 30 percent to achieve a power level equal to that of non-ethanol fuel, this means you will run out of gas 30 percent faster.

For example, if you once burned 10 gallons of fuel commuting to work over a two-week period, you will now run out of gas three days early. In the case of E10 you will refuel one day early. But E10 is only the first step and E25 is next.

Not only is gas costing you 200 percent more than it did three years ago, but you will soon be required by law to accept 30 percent less fuel economy.

Rocklyn Faher

Virginia Beach

View 4 comment(s) Link to post

Thank Al Gore

Submitted by steveh3 on Sun, 05/11/2008 at 7:54 pm.

Not only is ethanol inefficient, it is robbing people of food and it takes more energy to produce it than it delivers. Thank you Al Gore and the tree huggers for making things worse.

ethanol

Submitted by dennisb54308 on Sat, 05/10/2008 at 4:16 pm.

It is really ashamed that the shortcomings of ethanol were known long before now. I we continue to rely on politicians and emotional fanatics and not on scientific research we will literally regress back to horse and buggy days. Also, China will be drilling off out continental limits and tell us to go to that theological place of eternal suffering.

Reply to Watch.dog

Submitted by John Wilburn on Sat, 05/10/2008 at 12:57 pm.

The answer is - Human Nature is what it is...

The solution is - "Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you."

Much too difficult and complicated for most people to grasp...

Exactly

Submitted by Watch.Dog on Sat, 05/10/2008 at 9:38 am.

And the oil companies knew this ahead of time. There is little that is not known about how to make money in the oil business; which makes the differences between the oil companies and the tobacco companies very small. The only difference is that gasoline is not killing people directly; it is killing the earth slowly. The same failing point is as true for capitalism as it was for communism; they both fail due to th desire for money and power. Religion and politics seem to be very similar. I don't know the answer or the solution.