GoodFuels

Nebraska study contradicts Minnesota study

Neal St. Anthony, columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, has written a story about the recent University of Minnesota study, and a contradictory study from the University of Nebraska released earlier this week.

The University of Nebraska research reveals that the latest crop of efficient corn-ethanol refineries has helped cut greenhouse gas emissions to half that of gasoline and the industry now is producing up to 1.8 units of energy through ethanol for every unit of energy used to produce it. That’s quite a leap in efficiency for an industry that early on had efficiency ratios that barely exceeded 1 to 1.

So why the huge discrepancies in the findings of each report?

In short, the Nebraska researchers found that claims of ethanol inferiority were rooted in corn-production statistics, ethanol plant performance and byproduct use that dates back years. By the end of 2009, Cassman said, newer and renovated plants will account for 75 percent of ethanol production. They increasingly use alternative fuels, are more productive and efficient and are located close to livestock for efficient use of the residual distillers grains as feed.

Additionally, St. Anthony hits the nail on the head when it comes to the bottom line:

To wit: The dirtiest and most expensive fuel, particularly when you add in related defense spending, is oil, two-thirds of which we import at a cost of something like $400 billion annually. The money goes to mostly government-owned monopolies, and some of those countries are hostile to the United States.

Interesting stuff. Go here to read the entire article.

Ethanol Report on Ethanol Studies

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features comments from Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper about recently released studies from the University of Nebraska and the University of Minnesota regarding life cycle analysis and greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol compared to gasoline. Cooper compares the two reports and discusses RFA’s major concerns with the Minnesota study.

You can listen to “The Ethanol Report” on-line here:

Or you can subscribe to this podcast by following this link.

MI company improves ethanol engine performance

Van Buren, Michigan based company Ricardo, Inc. has announced that they have supposedly developed “technology that optimizes ethanol-fueled engines to a level of performance that exceeds gasoline engine efficiency“.

The technology, called Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection or EBDI, takes full advantage of ethanol’s best properties — higher octane and higher heat of vaporization — to create a truly renewable fuel scenario that is independent of the cost of oil.

Ricardo’s President Dean Harlow is optimistic about applying “theoretical discussions” to find real world solutions when it comes to renewable fuel.

EBDI solves many of the challenges faced by flex-fuel engines because it is optimized for both alternative fuels and gasoline. Current flex-fuel engines pay a fuel economy penalty of about 30 percent compared to gasoline when operated on ethanol blends such as E85. The EBDI engine substantially improves ethanol’s efficiency, and performs at a level comparable to a diesel engine.

The prototype EBDI is a 3.2-liter V6 engine that ultimately could serve as a replacement for a large gasoline or turbo-diesel engine in a large SUV. The first firing of the engine & initial development is currently taking place and will be installed into a dual-wheel pick-up truck demonstration vehicle later this year.

We’re definitely looking forward to the demonstration vehicle Ricardo promises. Keep an eye out for this new technology.