~~ 6 Steps To Making Your Own e85 Ethanol ~~

Step One: . . . The Conversion Process We have to break down carbohydrate sugars, such as the starch from corn. Create it into "Mash". Grind or crush the feedstock (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc...). Then dilute and add an enzyme (alpha amylase) to turn the mixture into a liquid. Once liquified a second enzyme is added(glucoamylase) to convert the starch into sugar. (If the source is mainly sugar, i.e...rotten fruit, molasses, etc..., the conversion step can be skipped. Step Two: . . . Fermentation Add yeast and make it into a beer (wine) type solution. Step Three: . . . Distillation The beer (wine) type solution needs to be run through a still to extract the alcohol from the solution. Step Four: . . . Filtration The ethanol now needs to be filtered to get rid of excess organic volatiles. Step Five: . . . Dehydration The ethanol needs to be "dried". After the distillation process there will be a certain amount of water in the ethanol you have just created - this can be dried running the ethanol through Zeolite a readily available product for drying ethanol. Step Six: . . . Ethanol Into e85 Now simply convert the pure ethanol into e85 by adding 15% unleaded gasoline to your ethanol. e85 is nothing more than 85% ethanol mixed with 15% gasoline. Making your own ethanol will require some initial investment, but the rewards will be very, very beneficial. You can make your own e85 for right around a $1.00 a gallon if you buy the corn and for about $.60 a gallon if you grow your own corn. e85 Flex Fuel Vehicles are becoming more and more popular as the gas prices continue to rise. e85 is defiantly going to be a major relief for the United States fuel problem. You may even be driving a flex fuel vehicle now. Many newer models are equipped to handle both gasoline as well as e85 ethanol. The best way to check is to look in your owners manuel, check in the fuel door for the e85 sticker or contact your dealer and have them run your vin number to see if you vehicle is compatable. I suggest that you do all three, to be on the safe side.Now simply convert the pure ethanol into e85 by adding 15% unleaded gasoline to your ethanol. e85 is nothing more than 85% ethanol mixed with 15% gasoline.

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~~ 6 Steps To Making Your Own e85 Ethanol ~~

Step One: . . . The Conversion Process We have to break down carbohydrate sugars, such as the starch from corn. Create it into "Mash". Grind or crush the feedstock (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc...). Then dilute and add an enzyme (alpha amylase) to turn the mixture into a liquid. Once liquified a second enzyme is added(glucoamylase) to convert the starch into sugar. (If the source is mainly sugar, i.e...rotten fruit, molasses, etc..., the conversion step can be skipped. Step Two: . . . Fermentation Add yeast and make it into a beer (wine) type solution. Step Three: . . . Distillation The beer (wine) type solution needs to be run through a still to extract the alcohol from the solution. Step Four: . . . Filtration The ethanol now needs to be filtered to get rid of excess organic volatiles. Step Five: . . . Dehydration The ethanol needs to be "dried". After the distillation process there will be a certain amount of water in the ethanol you have just created - this can be dried running the ethanol through Zeolite a readily available product for drying ethanol. Step Six: . . . Ethanol Into e85 Now simply convert the pure ethanol into e85 by adding 15% unleaded gasoline to your ethanol. e85 is nothing more than 85% ethanol mixed with 15% gasoline. Making your own ethanol will require some initial investment, but the rewards will be very, very beneficial. You can make your own e85 for right around a $1.00 a gallon if you buy the corn and for about $.60 a gallon if you grow your own corn. e85 Flex Fuel Vehicles are becoming more and more popular as the gas prices continue to rise. e85 is defiantly going to be a major relief for the United States fuel problem. You may even be driving a flex fuel vehicle now. Many newer models are equipped to handle both gasoline as well as e85 ethanol. The best way to check is to look in your owners manuel, check in the fuel door for the e85 sticker or contact your dealer and have them run your vin number to see if you vehicle is compatable. I suggest that you do all three, to be on the safe side.Now simply convert the pure ethanol into e85 by adding 15% unleaded gasoline to your ethanol. e85 is nothing more than 85% ethanol mixed with 15% gasoline.

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Flex Fuel Vehicles: More Choices

Owning a flex fuel vehicle gives motorists options beyond high gas prices at the pump. Depending on the fuel’s availability and local taxes, you could save as much as one third at the pump by fueling up your car with E85, the ethanol/gasoline blend popular with flex fuel vehicles. As additional service stations add flex fuel to their available fuel options, more drivers will consider this alternate fuel source to save money and to help the environment. However, before you make the switch, your vehicle must be designed to run on E85 in the first place. Fortunately, select auto manufacturers are jumping in by offering vehicles that can operate with either E85 or straight gasoline. Let’s take a look at the current offerings available to American consumers.

Surprisingly, not many of the vehicles from Japanese automakers have flex fuel capabilities. Toyota and Honda are concentrating on hybrid technology while also exploring hydrogen power. The American automakers have taken the lead in this all important endeavor and the following vehicles from General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler all have FFV models available for consumers:

General Motors:

Chevrolet Silverado

Chevrolet Avalanche

GMC Sierra

Chevrolet Suburban

GMC Yukon

Chevrolet Tahoe

Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet Malibu

Ford Motor Company:

Lincoln Town Car

Ford F-Series

Mercury Gran Marquis

Ford Crown Victoria

Ford Taurus

DaimlerChrysler:

Dodge Durango

Dodge Ram

Dodge Caravan

Chrysler Town & Country

Chrysler Sebring

Dodge Stratus

In addition, several foreign manufacturers also offer E85 technology including: Mercedes and Nissan on current models, while Isuzu and Mazda on past models. Just so you know, not all versions of each model listed have flex fuel capability; check with the dealer to make certain that your model is indeed flex fuel capable.

Yes, the flex fuel movement is growing and as new stations come on line and more vehicles become available, look for consumers to select flex fuel vehicles in greater numbers. Add in two big side benefits of reduced emissions and less dependency on foreign oil, and flex fuel vehicles make a heck of a lot of sense. Will you be going the flex fuel vehicle route?

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Flex Fuel Vehicle And Ethanol

Flexible fuel vehicles are just like an average car in the sense that they use a single gas tank. But it can run on a mixture of gasoline and alcohol based fuel. Any car made after 1988 can run on a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. A flexible fuel vehicle can run on a mixture of up to 85% ethanol. Modifications are needed for this ratio as alcohol based fuels are corrosive.

Fuel tanks and engines must be modified in flexible fuel vehicles. In the US, there is a special indicator used that analyzes the ratio of the mix and adjusts itself accordingly to make sure that the fuel is burned clean. This is done by adjusting the timing and the fuel injection and happens automatically. Many flexible fuel vehicles are also required to use a special engine oil.

Why use ethanol?

Ethanol offers motorists an environmentally friendly alternative to using fossil based gasoline fuels, since ethanol is much more environmentally friendly and a renewable resource it seems to be an ideal alternative fuel for an environmentally friendly motorist. Studies show that using a mix of 10% ethanol reduces carbon monoxide levels by up to 17% , CO2 emissions by 4.2% and hydrogen emissions by up to 5%. By using a mixture of 85% ethanol greenhouse gas effects are reduced by up to 37%

What countries are using ethanol fuel?

There are three countries currently using ethanol in their vehicles - US, Brazil and Sweden.

* Brazil has been using ethanol mixtures in their fuel since the 1970's and it is required by law that all fuel mixes be at a ratio of 29-25% ethanol.

* Sweden is the only country that has flexible fuel vehicles in Europe, although there are plans to introduce fuel mixes of up to 85% in other European countries.

* US has many cars designed to run on 85% ethanol fuel mixes. These flexible fuel cars make up 4 million of the cars in the US, although less than 1% of these vehicles are currently running on a mixture of 85% ethanol.

The future of ethanol based fuels

At the moment the future of ethanol fuel mixtures seems a little bleak. Until the fuel companies can make the mixtures of gasoline and ethanol fuel mixes more efficient and provide a superior mileage, people will still continue using gasoline and small mixes of ethanol such as a 10% ratio. Once this obstacle has been corrected, ethanol will be more widely used in flexible fuel vehicles.

There is potential for future growth in the ethanol industry. Last year an energy bill was created that is calling for refiners to begin using more renewable fuels. The national ethanol industry currently produces more than 4 billion gallons of ethanol fuel per year with more plants being built all the time. The ethanol industry is definitely set to sky-rocket in coming years.

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