An EPIC Salute at Indy 500
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Posted by Laura McNamara – May 25th, 2008
Members of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council stood at attention just before the start of the Indy 500. Members clutched Team Ethanol hats to their chest during the salute to troops, a rendition of “God Bless America” and Julianne Hough’s version of the National Anthem. Julianne is a professional dancer who has appeared on “Dancing with the Stars”. She’s a two-time “Dancing with the Stars” winner. Her most recent win came last year with partner Helio Castroneves, an IndyCar Driver for the IRL. Helio is racing in the No. 3 IndyCar with Penske Racing. Right now the race is under its fourth caution. Helio is at position 14. Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay has broken into the top 10 and holds position nine.
2 Comments »
Jim Jackson
It’s a great concept. Fuel we can grow here. Really, though, it requires a bunch of fuel to make this fuel. Fuel to harvest the seed, transport to storage, from storage, plant, harvest, store, dry, transport to the ethanol plant, process and ship. Where is the advantage?
If the machines that process the ethanol from start to finish were burning ethanol, it would be a lose lose situation. Most of this process requires diesel fuel and the rest is electric energy and natural gas.
In the vehicles that burn it, fuel mileage is reduced and they have difficulty managing fuel mixture on some of the flexable fuel vehicles, generating MIL lamps for systems that aren’t having problems that can be fixed. The fix is to run E10 or straight unleaded.
The problem is that this fuel doesn’t really make us less dependent on oil. If anything, it probably makes us more dependent, due to all the fuel and petroleum products used in the manufacturing of it. It’s hard on fuel pumps, fuel injectors, hoses and o-rings.
It’s great for the farmers. (Nothing against farmers) It makes a high demand for corn so anyone who wants to raise corn or anything that can be used to make ethanol has some really good job security.
I have a problem with spending all the money it costs to produce the product. If I’m wrong, then show me where I’m wrong and set me straight?
Jim
Cindy Zimmerman
Jim –
First, even considering all the fuel it takes to make ethanol, there is still a net energy balance compared to petroleum. According to Argonne National Laboratory calculations, the fossil energy input per unit of ethanol is lower—0.78 million British thermal units (Btu) of fossil energy consumed for each 1 million Btu of ethanol delivered—compared to 1.23 million Btu of fossil energy consumed for each 1 million Btu of gasoline delivered. Many ethanol plants are now finding ways to generate some or even all of the energy needed to produce the fuel internally. As far as using diesel-powered tractors and such – farmers are using more biodiesel blends in farm machinery and they do use ethanol blends in farm vehicles when possible. As of yet, there has not been a big demand for ethanol/gasoline powered engines in farm machinery. I would assume that large engines such as that – like semi-trucks – run better on diesel.
Second, it is true that fuel mileage is reduced with ethanol compared to gasoline. For E10 blends, it is about 3 percent – for E85, it can be as much as 25 percent. Actual mileage rates vary tremendously between various vehicle makes and models.
Ethanol has been a tremendous economic benefit for many rural communities. In some cases, it has completely revitalized small farming communities that had been economic disasters due to a lack of jobs and people getting out of agriculture. This benefits the country as a whole.
The idea is that – if we can’t drill for our own oil, and 65 percent of our oil is provided by other countries – ethanol can play a small role in helping to make us less dependent on foreign oil. As we move into cellulosic ethanol, the energy balance will become greater and production will become even more efficient.
Hope that answers some of your questions. I realize not everyone agrees with even the concept of ethanol production, but that is America. We never all agree on anything.
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