Archive for January, 2008
Posted in January 31st, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
This is an interesting idea. I would only add that if we do this mandate, we should consider also mandating that these flex-fuel vehicles or a certain percentage of them be optimized for better fuel economy on ethanol. By taking advantage of ethanol’s high octane, this would reduce our use of […]
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Posted in January 27th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
An abstract from a study by researchers at the USDA and University of Nebraska indicates ethanol from switchgrass should result in “540% more renewable than nonrenewable energy consumed” and overall emmissions of greenhouse gases would be 94% lower than from ethanol-free gasoline. Switchgrass field for this study were established on 10 […]
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Posted in January 21st, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
Scientists at the National Renewable Energy Lab are closing in on a better way to make butanol, an alcohol that has a higher BTU content than ethanol and better compatibility with gasoline. It can even be mixed with ethanol to improve its compatibility with gasoline. It also has a high octane […]
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Posted in January 20th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
A study by the USDA and the University of Nebraska found that switchgrass grown on marginal farmland in Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota could yield 300 gallons of ethanol per acre. An acre of corn kernels grown in those same states, says an AP article, yields about 350 gallons of […]
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Posted in January 18th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
It’s high time more was done with ethanol from sorghum. The potential yield per acre and energy balance could easily top ethanol from corn kernels, and without the need for cellulosic processing technologies. Sweet sorghum stems contain readily available simple sugars. This Florida venture seeks to replace dwindling citrus acres with […]
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Posted in January 17th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
This article discusses a benefit of cellulosic ethanol production that should be receiving more publicity. The perennial grasses and trees that could be used as feedstock do not require large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers. Widespresad production then, could reduce the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico caused by fertilizer runnoff […]
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Posted in January 16th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers Blog
This ethanol production process has the potential to be flexible and efficient. They claim they will produce ethanol for $1.00 per gallon. The intermediate product could possibly be upgraded to replace natural gas instead of reforming to ethanol this flexibility would be good for the economic viability of the operation. The […]
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Posted in January 11th, 2008
According to the WilderHill clean energy index, the renewable energy sector rose over 58% in 2007. The index includes 48 large U.S. companies in the renewable energy sector. With an expected gloomy year for the financial sector and a slowdown in tech spending due to a projected U.S. economic slowdown, the green energy stocks or […]
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Posted in January 7th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers
Ford Motor Company has announced a major initiative to put a new engine design in a wide range of cars and trucks starting with model year 2009. Dubbed Ecoboost, the new design combines turbo boosting and direct injection, allowing a small engine to produce the same power and performance as a much […]
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Posted in January 4th, 2008
Submitted by Energy Answers
One of the important points made in my new book, Sustainable Ethanol,” is that ethanol can be produced from perennial crops while improving soil quality at the same time. This view is backed by USDA’s ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. In a study published in the 2006 Agronomy Journal, […]
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