E-15 fuel in your area?

[MossRoad]

I did a little reading on the subject. It looks like it takes about 30,000 btu of energy to make a gallon of ethanol, which yields about 70,000 btu. Some of the energy to make ethanol is going to be fossil fuel, such as planting and harvesting the crops. Depending on how the ethanol plant is powered may or may not use fossil fuels. There are certainly some up sides on ethanol. Do they out weigh the downsides? I don’t know.

I've posts some of this before, but, ethanol is a massive waste of BTUs. So is gasoline.

The most efficient way to get BTUs from corn is burning it. Like in a corn burnings stove or furnace. Somewhere in the 90% efficient rating.

The study I read said something to the effect of the best way to make maximum use of BTUs with the least amount of waste would be to use the most closely to the form they originated in. Each time you convert one thing to another thing, there's a loss of BTUs and efficiency.

The most efficient uses would be for people to heat their homes with corn, run their cars and trucks on natural gas, and use oil for things like large ships and trains.

 

[JRH02]

Next conversations to cover:

1. Which brand oil is best?
2. Does a manual transmission get better mileage?
3. What tire pressure works best in snow?
4. Green or yellow?
5. Chevy, Ford or Dodge?
6. iPhone or Android?
7. (i'll stop here)

 

[SgtSluggo]

We just got a new station near us selling E15. For now the price is different enough from the E0 that any loss of MPG would be made up to make it better in Miles/dollar.

 

[5030]

No. We have E10, and E85.

Oddly, E85 is now about 40 cents per gallon more expensive than E10.

and much less efficient on a flex fuel engine too.

 

[JWR]

ALL of us would be better off financially and equipment wise if ethanol tainted fuel had never been invented. I say there is no upside to it (other than the value of experience.) Experience should be the best teacher...

 

[number two]

It seems like a shame to produce so much corn liquor and not bottle,tax,and consume it.
I dare say everybody would be happier!
LOL!

 

[dodge man]

Ethanol burns cleaner, and it boosts octane. To say it has no upsides is wrong.

 

[jjeff]

Ethanol burns cleaner, and it boosts octane. To say it has no upsides is wrong.

The problem highlighted, in other posts, experiences, and doing some reading on it is it doesn't store well, acts as a solvent on any fuel system not specifically designed to handle ethanol, absorbs water, and uses up lots of energy and resources to make it. IMO.

 

[dodge man]

I agree, there are some downsides but I keep seeing people say there are no upsides.

There are three threads going on now, one on wind power, solar power, and this one on E15. A lot of people bashing all three. There are downsides to all three but there are upsides to. I like to think I have an open mind and there is always some good info in these threads, both for and against.

 

[mrmikey]

The problem highlighted, in other posts, experiences, and doing some reading on it is it doesn't store well, acts as a solvent on any fuel system not specifically designed to handle ethanol, absorbs water, and uses up lots of energy and resources to make it. IMO

Those are my thoughts as well, the good does not outweigh the bad points. When I have no choice on purchasing something that damages a piece of machinery that I've worked hard for it sorta rubs me the wrong way....sorry.

I like to think I have an open mind.....

As do I, saying that, mine is pretty much closed on ethanol, I do like to listen to other's opinions tho and would never condemn someone for having one different than mine.
I remember a guy I used to work with, his favorite saying was, "You wanna do it my way or your stupid way " LOL.........MIke