Ethanol:Kudos to the Fuel Cleanliness.
The Wine (active ingredient Ethyl Alcohol) fuelled the imaginations of many artists and now it has one more role to play, which is awaiting its entrance since the necessity of clean fuel is arising. Alcohol is next name in clean chemical fuel. The Alcohol derivatives like Ethanol, Butanol etc., are in next generation of clean fuels. The physical properties of Alcohol derivatives are much of similar all are volatile, clear and colorless liquids highly inflammable, have high octane number (a property used for grading the quality of Gasoline) and have excellent miscibility with other organic compounds.
Here we will discuss about Ethanol. The chemically Ethanol is known as Ethyl Alcohol having formula C2H 5 OH and is usually blended with beer and other alcoholic drinks. The Ethanol is prepared from various sources like petrochemicals (as a product in distillation) maize, barley, corn, corn stalks, sugarcane, potatoes, vegetable wastes and even some flowers like Mahua (pronounced mahooaa) in the South Asia. Apart from that every local community have their own methods to produce Alcohol having active ingredient as Ethanol. Therefore, it is a fact all the Glucose and sucrose high content compositions (commonly called as Carbohydrate rich) may it be a waste material for human can produce Ethanol.
The simple chemical reaction of producing Ethanol is that the glucose or sucrose (carbohydrate content) in the vegetations when is made to ripe under effects of yeast the glucose or sucrose breaks up into Alcohol, water, carbon dioxide and heat energy. The bacteria present in the yeast carry on this chemical break up and re-arrangement. The below chemical formula is shown
C6 H 12 06 + (Yeast Action)==> C2H5OH (Ethanol) +CO2 + H2O.
(This equation is for indication purpose not to be verified for balancing.)
The Ethanol produced thus, is filtered, refined by the distillers with purity up to 99.9%. Ethanol is also obtained from petrochemical but it is not pure and not a BIO-ALCOHOL.
The Ethanol brewing is possible in backyards of a small farm though brewing or distilling needs the complex instruments and accurate chemical analysis.
So now, what are other benefits of Ethanol as fuel? Ethanol primarily is high octane hydrocarbon so blending with gasoline is an advantage as the modification to the engines are not required and the complete burning of fuel blended or non-blended with gasoline, assures the minimum release of harmful exhaust. The Ethanol on burning yields water and carbon dioxide. A chemical equation reveals how Ethanol oxidizes or burns. (Equation for symbolic information only)
C2H5OH +O2 ==>CO2 +H2O
The reduction of CO (Carbon Mono-Oxide) emissions, and other benzene and lead containing emissions in case when added to gasoline with octane enhancing compounds, is another advantage evident with Ethanol. Due to this the environment pollution and Green House effect is reduced. The octane rating of Ethanol Blend Gasoline is increases by two to three points and apart from that Ethanol industry through biological means employees more of individual directly. The energy efficiency of Ethanol is nearly 8 times than of gasoline in same volumes, if crop used for producing is assumed as free energy. However, the debates are still going on. Nevertheless, the various organizations like American Coalition for Ethanol, US Department of Agriculture, etc., have a kudos in favors and moreover the Institute of Local Self-Reliance, back the use of Ethanol and support the energy efficiency of Ethanol by 125% to 85% of gasoline. Still glancing above the oxidation equation of Ethanol cooperates with the bio-degradability on full life cycle basis means the Carbon Dioxide is consumed by plants and water assimilated in the environment so no pollutants like CO or SO2. Another measurable basis is Liquid Transportation, Ethanol Yield per crop and per acre of farmed land that amounts to 99.5%.
In addition, the Alcohol (Ethanol Blended) Fuels have disadvantages, which are listed in the study by website www.fueleconomy.gov that is the drop in mileage of motor vehicles by 25%. Still the debates and study is on the way to derive a clean fuel from Ethanol.
With all these facts the next assumed clean fuel are alcohol fuels especially Ethanol. The US Automobile Corporations also support the Ethanol blending also some of them cover this Ethanol blending and use in pure form in their manufacturer’s warranty. Lastly, to reveal you a very basic fact like Bio-Diesel was said Fuel of future By Diesel the Ethanol was conceived as replacement to gasoline By Henry Ford.
(For more readings, see also)
www.pureenergysystems.com
www.freeennergynews.com/Dierctory/Ethanol/index.htm
www.journerytoforever.org/Ethanol.html
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlcoholFuel.htm