Ethanol Uses, Benefits, and Facts - Essay Example

?Ethanol Early history is full of documentation, even as early as 9,000 B.C., depicting how ancient people made and used ethanol as a psychoactive recreational drug. The fermentation of sugar into ethanol is one of the earliest known organic reactions created by mankind. Ethanol has been widely used by nearly every civilization and still continues to this day. Now, as the quest for a replacement for fossil fuels drives research, ethanol has taken a vital place in the energy needs of the future. Ethanol was not used as a fuel until Samuel Morey developed the first combustion engine in 1824; it ran on ethanol and turpentine. It was mostly used industrially and for lamps until 1862, when the U.S. Congress placed a $2 per gallon tax on it to help fund the Civil War. In 1896, Henry Ford built his first vehicle, a Quadricycle, which ran entirely on pure ethanol. The first hybrid flexible engine was also built by him for his Ford Model T; made from 1908 until 1927. It could run on ethanol, gasoline or kerosene. As World War I and the depression created a need for more fuel, more research was done to provide the necessary means for energy when gasoline was not readily available. During the prohibition years, extensive taxation made it impractical to produce alcohol, although in the 1920's, the Standard Oil company started using ethanol as a fuel additive to reduce engine knocking and raise the octane of the fuel to enhance performance issues with automobiles. As the advancement of the combustion engine progressed, so did the need for ethanol research. It was also at this time that Brazil discovered a way to use the ethanol made from sugar cane in their automobiles. It was in the 1930's that gasohol; fuel comprised of 6-12% ethanol was first used. Brazil passed a war time law in 1943 requiring automobile fuel to contain 50% ethanol, in order to reserve petroleum resources for the military use. They have continued to develop that technology into a world class economy today. Due to the oil embargo, in 1974, the U.S. began doing extensive research regarding turning organic materials into ethanol. In 1980, the U.S. placed foreign excise tax on all foreign made ethanol in an attempt to stimulate the domestic economy and reduce flooding the market with cheap imported ethanol. That tariff remains in place today, securing the place for the U.S. as the number one ethanol producer in the world. By that time, Brazil was considering fuel rationing, when Fiat built the first, ethanol only, modern car; within three years, 90% of the cars in Brazil were ethanol vehicles. Today, Brazil continues to be the leading sugar cane ethanol producer, refining more than 40% of that country’s domestic ethanol. By 1992, the Energy Policy Act passed, requiring automakers to create and sell cars capable of using alternative fuels; also giving tax deductions to those selling those cars or ones capable of being converted with a special conversion kit. This kit made adjustments to the fuel-to-air ratio through the use of fuel sensors that determined how much ethanol was in the system to prevent engine damage. Ethanol as a fuel additive can be derived from many organic sources, such as corn, wheat, sugar cane, sugar beets, sweet sorghum, sweet potatoes, switch grass, and miscanthus. There is research constantly being conducted to search for new sources of feedstocks to produce this valuable renewable source of energy. Potential non-corn feedstocks include cotton stalks, and trees as well as certain forms of algae. This would require a special and complicated process to separate cellulose from the sugars for the fermentation process and much more research is needed in this area. There are many other uses of ethanol than just for car fuel. It is also used to make industrial compounds and solvents, antifreeze, vinegar, perfume, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paint, and alcohol wipes and antibacterial hand sanitizers. The grain alcohol that is used for human consumption is of a much higher quality and therefore a different product entirely. One byproduct of this process is carbonate which is used heavily in the food and beverage industry. The process by which ethanol is made requires three separate steps. First of all, the fermentation process is where sugar is broken down by yeast in an anaerobic environment. This produces carbon dioxide and ethanol. The ethanol is distilled to remove the water. Enzymes may need to be added to release the sugars and starches for the fermentation process, depending on what feedstock is used; however, regardless of what feedstock is used to provide the sugars and starches, the process remains the same. At the biorefinery, the feedstock is liquefied, fermented and distilled. Ethanol is now being used more than ever as replacement for methyl-t-butyl-ether (MTBE) which is not only toxic to one's health, but also is difficult to remove from groundwater. It has been proven to reduce greenhouse gases by 30% over using fossil fuels alone, and requires 40% less petroleum to produce and distribute as well. There are several blends ethanol fuel used in the U. S.; E-10, E-20, E-30, E40, and E85. There is also an Ethanol-Diesel fuel which burns much cleaner eliminating the black smoke previously seen from larger diesel engine vehicles. The Federal government requires that automobile fossil fuel contains at least 10% ethanol. While E-10, which is comprised of 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, is not considered an alternative fuel, it has many advantages. It reduces engine knocking, while increasing the octane and performance of combustion engines. It is mandated for use in most states due to the Environmental Protection Agency. There is only a 1-2% noticeable decrease in mileage efficiency; however it can loosen engine deposits and may create a need for more frequent car maintenance and systems cleaning. There are now special filters being strategically located within the fuel system as well as the intake system to prevent such damage. Some states, Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, actually have blender pumps that permits consumers to choose the blend. For example, an E-20 pump blends 24% E-85 and 76% regular unleaded gasoline. Currently, vehicles with non-flex fuel systems can only use E-10; however research is ongoing to find new blends that will actually work with regular non flex fuel vehicles. E-85 has been labeled an alternative fuel; it consists of 15% unleaded gasoline and 85% ethanol. It is not nearly as energy dense as E-10, which means less gas mileage efficiency by 20-30% and more fill ups, however the price at the pump is noticeably less as well. This makes using E-85 most necessary in larger cities with more congestion; it decreases toxic emissions and is much easier to find there. There are now vehicles on the market, flex-fuel automobiles that are built specifically to accommodate using E-85. This type of fuel can be corrosive to gaskets and rubber hoses, and with the higher octane may cause damage to the engine if the fuel-to-air ratio isn't adjusted to work with the type of fuel used. The BTU output is roughly two thirds of that produced by unleaded gasoline. For those wishing to convert their cars to flex fuel, there are conversion kits that also contain flex fuel sensors that determine the ethanol content in order to adjust the fuel-to-air ratio in order to avoid engine damage. An added benefit to these flex fuel cars is that the government gives tax incentives to the auto companies so that the increases are not passed on to the consumers, making them more affordable. Also fuel blenders get $.051 per gallon tax incentives to continue making the blended fuel; there are high taxes on foreign made ethanol. In some states, consumers can take tax deductions with proof of either a flex fuel vehicle or use of alternative fuel. The effects of ethanol on the economy are much more positive than negative. It creates opportunities for small as well as large farmers to earn a profit, where previously there hasn't been much of one due to fossil fuels' impact. There has also been a global effect on farming as a result, thereby increasing income opportunities for those with large feedstock yields. It's a proven fact that 80% of the food dollar goes toward non-food costs; such as transportation, labor, packaging, and marketing. Where the prices have risen for meat and corn products, it has not been due to ethanol production; there is more than enough corn to meet the needs. The rise has been due largely to the rise in costs of the non-food costs. Ethanol lowers transportation costs approximately 20 – 30%. Only 20% of the food dollar actually goes to the farmer to cover expenses for growing the crops. The down side of ethanol is that it is more expensive to transport; it is corrosive and attracts water requiring it to have special containers and special precautions for shipping. Ethanol has definitely impacted the corn market; especially in the U.S. We lead the world in corn production, with the Midwestern states topping out the majority of the yield at 67%. Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana are the top producers yielding 64% of the ethanol production in the U.S. Many farmers are now growing their crops for the main purpose of biorefining. In 2006, the production of ethanol consumed 18% of the total corn crop yield, due to the demand for increased biofuel. Science has the projected increase in yield production for crops due to more efficient methods of breeding and genetics, raising the gallons per acre from 436 to 587 spanning from 2004 - 2014. As a result of needing more farm land, farmers have also taken back more land from the conservation reserve program; a program which paid farmers to leave their lands idle in order not to produce too much unusable and unstorable produce. This has led to more investments, new jobs, and new infrastructure as biorefineries are being built in response to the demand for biofuel. Just one acre of corn can provide the ethanol for a vehicle to go 72,000 miles, replacing petroleum at the rate of 1.2 barrels for each one barrel of ethanol produced. Each biofuel plant creates 32 new full time jobs. This does not take into account the number of jobs indirectly associated with the construction of the materials or the physical plant itself. There has been some concern that ethanol will eventually squeeze out the corn used for human consumption in the making of cereals and corn used as a vegetable. In truth, only around 2% of the corn grown in the U.S. is sweet corn; the only variety digestible by the human body. Corn, grits, cornmeal, and cereals made from corn have not been affected at all by the ethanol process. The remaining 98% of the corn grown, also known as field corn, is used for animal feed, the production of cooking oil, and for export globally. The increase in genetics and breeding of corn in order to produce higher yields, has also led to it become more efficient for livestock to digest; meaning less is needed and less expensive filler grains can do the job of fattening off the livestock for consumption. As well, the distiller grains, which make up approximately 40% of the ethanol byproduct, are being recycled to feed livestock. The effects of ethanol on the environment have also been more positive than negative. It serves to reduce greenhouse gases by more than 60%. Research shows that it reduces tailpipe carbon monoxide by 30 %, exhaust volatile organic compound emission by 12%, toxic emissions by 30%, and particulate matter emission by 25%. As a renewable source of energy, it can also be produced domestically, thereby reducing the consumption of petroleum and those side effects and pollution. While corn is the number one crop grown in America, specifically field corn, it is also the most pollution causing crop to grow. The down side of ethanol that has affected the environment somewhat is the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers that require the use of petrochemicals and natural gas. They are easily producible in large quantities, fairly inexpensive, and highly effective. It takes approximately 50 gallons of petroleum to produce one acre of field corn. These fertilizers will also become pollution, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and create groundwater toxicity to surrounding areas; even as far reaching as larger bodies of water. The fact that research is ongoing to reduce the need for such fertilizers and pesticides, by creating hybrids and genetically immune breeds of corn that produce higher yields with more bacteria and disease resistance, shows that progress is being made in that direction to eliminate these negative effects. Sugar cane is also used for making ethanol; however the U.S. does not have a sufficient sugar cane crop to use for such purposes. Most of the ethanol made from sugar cane is found in Brazil; which is also the world’s largest exporter of ethanol, second in production only to the U.S. It has actually become the first biofuels based economy, providing a model for other countries to emulate. That government not only requires blended ethanol gasoline between 10-22%, it also has prohibited vehicles not adapted to the blended fuel; regular unleaded gasoline is no longer an option there. As well, all commercial vehicles have flex fuel engines creating much less pollution and toxic emissions through the use of ethanol-diesel. As a result of the biofuels economy, the Brazilian government has put significant amount of investment into research into finding new breeds and ways of growing sugar cane. Their biotechnology laboratories have furthered genetic improvement in 500 new types of sugar cane since the year 2000. This research extends to the fermentation and sugars extraction process as well. Most of their process is recycled to fuel itself from the byproducts of the production chain. There is even extra energy in the form of electricity left over to sell to domestic utilities. As a result of this clean and sustainable process, Brazilian biofuel has been given the label of advanced biofuel; hoping it will make it a more valuable commodity for competition on the world market. In comparison with the U.S. corn based ethanol industry, Brazil’s energy balance is seven fold higher; with ethanol made from corn costing 30 cents per liter while sugar cane based ethanol is only 22 cents. Part of that cost factor is from the production costs being significantly less efficient in corn ethanol production. Producing ethanol from sugar cane is a win-win situation in that it reduces pollution, is clean, renewable and sustainable energy, and, reduces dependency on fossil fuels held in concentration in a few, politically volatile countries in the world. The U.S. has only a few states with the ability to grow sugar cane; Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Texas. Sugar cane requires a much longer growing season and a much wetter climate that corn. Research is being done to see if it would also be a viable option for the U. S., although the cost of growing and processing sugar cane would more than likely be greater than its profit at this point. There is a down side to using the sugar cane, in that initially, most of it was grown and harvested without the use of modern technology. This produces unsafe conditions for workers, including slavery conditions, ill health from over work, and sometimes death. It also produces stress on families due to migration for work by family members. Large areas of the land are not suitable for machinery due to landform variance so the work must be done by hand. Although there is a large population of migrant and seasonal workers, mostly uneducated, associated with the ethanol industry, the government provides more than 600 schools, 300 day care units, and 200 nursery centers to provide for the dependents of the workers. Also, the government requires that a percentage of the profits go towards providing health, education, and social services for the workers. As we move into the future with so many energy needs, it only makes sense to spend the bulk of our energy and resources on finding sources of clean, renewable, sustainable energy. Research in to agriculture technology and agronomics is essential if we are to somehow find a reasonable way to replace the use of fossil fuels for energy. Ethanol, while it’s not the only solution, it is a viable solution for satisfying part of the problem. The fear may people who promote ethanol have is that people will expect too much too soon from this product and not give it a fair chance. Through careful marketing with realistic and informed information, this vital resource can play a part in resolving our dependence on foreign oil. The sociopolitical environment in many of the countries we depend on for fossil fuels is tattered at the present moment. It appears to be nearly a world crisis throughout the Middle East due to governmental collapse and civil unrest. Our energy demand will not decrease with time; it will only increase. It only makes sense that we find a way to become more self-sufficient and promote American industry and the economy. Bibliography Veal, Mathew, PhD., Chinn, Mari S., PhD. Ethanol: A Gasoline Alternative for North Carolina. College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. NC State University. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. 10/2007. Web. March 13,2011. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/difference/biofuels/pdfs/ethanol_report.pdf American Coalition for Ethanol. Ethanol.org. http://ethanol.org/index.php?id=83&parentid=25 Ethanol History. Ethanol History - From Alcohol to Car Fuel. Ethanol.com. 2010-2011. Web. March13, 2011. http://www.ethanolhistory.com/ Read More