> >as with ethanol: consumes more energy than it saves....
> Not quite true but close.
> It takes 1 unit of energy for each 1.3 units of ethanol energy
> produced.
It depends on which research study you look at and when it was
generated. One very popular study which shows the 1.3 ratio was
for production numbers and technology from 1995. The latest
production facilities and farming techniques have changed that
to around 1.65. This includes averaged distribution and cost of
production. Of course, there are low-effeciency operations out
there, but for the new operations as well as the mega-efficient
farmers, it's a new world.
Walt does bring up an important point, though. Distribution.
Rail is the common transport system used and there are several
trains of 200+ tanker cars that go through our town every
day--and this is from just one or two plants. These go to
wherever the fuels are blended for your area. Current research
is into "binders" which allow the ethanol to "bind" to the gas
in such a way that it neither seperates nor absorbs water. Once
they have achieved that goal, pipeline distribution will be
possible.
Several hundred million dollars are being invested in my own
town in a new bio-diesel facility. The way things are going,
Iowa is going to be known for the "Corn Cartel". Farmers will
be getting together very few months to dictate production
numbers and driving fuel costs up. When the prices for ethanol
(and biodiesel) go up at the pump it'll bring new meaning to the
term "rough as a cob". ;)
As to the argument about people starving because our food is
being diverted to fuel, well, the Agriculture Industry has
proven its ability to step up the challenge of increasing
producion on less and less land. Experimental test plots are
producing over 800 bushel per acre. The biggest challenge is
putting enough nutrients in the soil to do that. My
father-in-law, a retired Iowa farmer, remembers when 100 per
acre was considered impossible. Even when he retired several
years ago, he topped out at about 160. The neighbor, who
cash-rents the land runs new equipment, new hybrids and new
chemical techniques and is getting over 280. And this is
considered poor soil. As more and more old farmers retire, the
state production numbers will continue to improve. Many of
today's under-35 farmers have a B.S in agriculture. It's a
whole new world out there. This isn't Mayberry RFD.
Ok, off my soapbox. Back to regular programming.
Oh, wait. One last thing: Ethanol production is electricity
dependant. Guess what? Iowa is a huge Wind-Farm state too.
That's right, wind-energy is going into ethanol production. Go
figure. Oh, and switchgrass and other celeolose materials are
being tested here too.
AG-must be the BXTPDB getting to me-Schnozz
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