Comments on: Ag Secretary Answers Ethanol Questions http://domesticfuel.com/2009/01/27/ag-secretary-answers-ethanol-questions/ Alternative Fuel News Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:31:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dieter Landwehr http://domesticfuel.com/2009/01/27/ag-secretary-answers-ethanol-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-111545 Dieter Landwehr Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:55:03 +0000 http://domesticfuel.com/?p=9219#comment-111545 Dave, You simplify too much. Natural gas reformed into synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is the prime energy input into ethanol. Yes, as you say there will always be thermodynamic losses, but we have to be smart about which losses we want to accept. Reforming natural gas into ethanol through the intermediate step of using nitrogen fertilizer to grow corn is not necessarily the best way to use the energy in natural gas. Dave,

You simplify too much. Natural gas reformed into synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is the prime energy input into ethanol.

Yes, as you say there will always be thermodynamic losses, but we have to be smart about which losses we want to accept.

Reforming natural gas into ethanol through the intermediate step of using nitrogen fertilizer to grow corn is not necessarily the best way to use the energy in natural gas.

]]> By: dave baskett http://domesticfuel.com/2009/01/27/ag-secretary-answers-ethanol-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-111537 dave baskett Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:56:52 +0000 http://domesticfuel.com/?p=9219#comment-111537 All forms of energy have losses. In the case of corn to ethanol, those losses are made up by the corn or other plant capturing sunlight and Co2 and then releasng it in fermentation tanks on the way to making even higher grade cattle food from the cattle corn. Your car loses about 70% of the energy in the gasoline when it is burned in a normal piston engine. We like cars because they are useful forms of chemical energy transformed into mechanical energy even if they are only 30% efficient. All forms of energy have losses. In the case of corn to ethanol, those losses are made up by the corn or other plant capturing sunlight and Co2 and then releasng it in fermentation tanks on the way to making even higher grade cattle food from the cattle corn.

Your car loses about 70% of the energy in the gasoline when it is burned in a normal piston engine. We like cars because they are useful forms of chemical energy transformed into mechanical energy even if they are only 30% efficient.

]]> By: Hawaiian Auto http://domesticfuel.com/2009/01/27/ag-secretary-answers-ethanol-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-111533 Hawaiian Auto Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:48:49 +0000 http://domesticfuel.com/?p=9219#comment-111533 I thought ethanol actually used more energy to produce than it was creating... that growing the corn, getting it to the plant and converting it to ethanol used more petroleum products and produced more carbon emissions than the ethanol saved??? I thought ethanol actually used more energy to produce than it was creating… that growing the corn, getting it to the plant and converting it to ethanol used more petroleum products and produced more carbon emissions than the ethanol saved???

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