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E85

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This article is about alcohol fuel. For a motorway in Europe, see European route E85. For BMW's platform designation, see BMW Z4.
File:E85 logo.png
Logo used in the United States for E85 fuel

E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC) by volume. On an undenatured basis, the ethanol component ranges from 70% to 83%. E85 as a fuel is widely used in Sweden and is becoming increasingly common in the United States, mainly in the Midwest where corn is a major crop and is the primary source material for ethanol fuel production; however as yet, there are about 1500[1] filling stations selling E85 to the public in the US, and, until recently, only three in Canada.[2][3]. It is also available across most of the Maxol chain in Ireland.

Use in flexible-fuel vehicles

Postal Service truck running on E85 fuel and advertising its use

E-85 ethanol is used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. Such flexible-fuel vehicles (FFV) are designed to run on any mixture of gasoline or ethanol with up to 85% ethanol by volume. There are a few major differences between FFVs and non-FFVs. One is the elimination of bare magnesium, aluminum, and rubber parts in the fuel system. Another is that fuel pumps must be capable of operating with electrically conductive ethanol instead of non-conducting dielectric gasoline fuel. Fuel injection control systems have a wider range of pulse widths to inject approximately 40% more fuel. Stainless steel fuel lines, sometimes lined with plastic, and stainless steel fuel tanks in place of terne fuel tanks are used. In some cases, FFVs use acid-neutralizing motor oil. For vehicles with fuel-tank mounted fuel pumps, additional differences to prevent arcing, as well as flame arrestors positioned in the tank's fill pipe, are also sometimes used.[citation needed]

Comparisons to regular gasoline

Depending on composition and source, E85 has an octane rating of 100 - 105[4] compared to regular gasoline's typical rating of 87 - 93. This allows it to be used in higher compression engines which tend to produce more power per unit of displacement than their gasoline counterparts. Since the reciprocating mass of the engine increases in proportion to the displacement of the engine E85 has a higher potential efficiency for an engine of equal power.

One complication is that use of gasoline in an engine with a high enough compression ratio to use E85 efficiently would likely result in catastrophic failure due to engine detonation, as the octane rating of gasoline is not high enough to withstand the greater compression ratios in use in an engine specifically designed to run on E85. Use of E85 in an engine designed specifically for gasoline would result in a loss of the potential efficiency that it is possible to gain with this fuel. Using E85 in a gasoline engine has the drawback of achieving lower fuel economy as more fuel is needed per unit air (stoichiometric fuel ratio) to run the engine in comparison with gasoline. E85 also has a lower heating value (units of energy per unit mass) than gasoline leading to a reduction in power output in a gasoline engine.

E85 consumes more fuel in flex fuel type vehicles when the vehicle uses the same fuel/air mixture and compression for both E85 and gasoline because of its lower stoichiometric fuel ratio and lower heating value. European car maker Saab currently produces a flex fuel version of their 9-5 sedan which consumes the same amount of fuel whether running e85 or gasoline[5], though it is not available in the United States. So in order to save money at the pump with current flex fuel vehicles available in the United States the price of E85 must be much lower than gasoline. Currently E85 is about 5-10% less expensive in most areas.[6] More than 20 fueling stations across the Midwest are selling E85 25%-40% cheaper than gasoline.[7] E85 also gets less MPG, at least in flex fuel vehicles. In one test, a Chevy Tahoe flex-fuel vehicle averaged 18 MPG [U.S. gallons] for gasoline, and 13 MPG for E85, or 28% fewer MPG than gasoline. In that test, the cost of gas averaged $3.42, while the cost for E85 averaged $3.09, or 90% the cost of gasoline.[8][9] In another test, however, a fleet of Ford Tauruses averaged only about 6% fewer miles per gallon in the ethanol-based vehicles as compared to traditional, gas-powered Tauruses.[10]

In the United States

Main article: E85 in the United States

There are about 1500 public E85 fueling stations available in the United States (out of 176,000 worldwide), at prices over 30% less than regular gasoline (when discounting the reduced fuel economy of E85), primarily in the corn-growing Midwest, where corn is grown and the homegrown fuel is produced. The number of gas stations offering E85 is expected to double over the next year as service stations are being offered incentives from government and ethanol industry grants up to $30,000 for the costs of retro-fitting pumps and tanks for E85 fuel. Unfortunately, this does little to offset the cost to install pumps and tanks for E85—a hefty $200,000 per station.[11] Although ethanol contains about 65% by volume of the energy that gasoline does, the per gallon cost of E85 is 75% the price of regular unleaded gasoline. The overall consumer cost of E85 is close to E10, and any short term price advantage is usually lost because vehicles usually burn E85 quicker than regular fuel.

A recent development in the expansion of E85 filling stations is Wal-Mart's announcement that it will possibly sell E85 at its 385 gas stations countrywide. Wal-Mart along with its popular division, Sam's Club has a partnership with Murphy Oil Corp. which operates more than 900 gas stations in Wal-Mart parking lots. Should they decide to follow through with plans, Wal-mart has the potential to be the single largest retailer of E85 in the nation.[12] Grocery retailers in Texas are also beginning to sell E85 at some fuel stations.[13][14]

Business leaders like Richard Branson, Paul Allen, Steve Case, Vinod Khosla, John Doerr, and Bill Gates have become ethanol advocates and are investing heavily in ethanol. [citation needed] Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is investing in a Seattle firm that wants to use canola oil, to create biodiesel, a biofuel associated with ethanol. And Vinod Khosla, the Kleiner Perkins partner and Sun Microsystems co-founder, has investments in two cellulosic ethanol companies. Microsoft's Bill Gates, has bought 25% of Pacific Ethanol, a Fresno, California company that is planning to build dozens of ethanol refineries in the U.S. In July 2006 Goldman Sachs invested $27 million into a Canadian company called Iogen, which wants to produce ethanol from switchgrass, a perennial grass that is inexpensive to grow. Iogen, a non-publicly traded company, is building the world's first full-scale commercial cellulose-to-ethanol plant by 2010. Another reason for ethanol's popularity is its contribution toward providing economic revitalization in rural communities across the country.

Environmental Impact

When made from corn, E85 reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, which include the energy required to grow and process corn into ethanol, by 15-20% as compared to gasoline. E85 made from cellulose can reduce emissions by around 70 percent as compared to gasoline.

EPA's stringent Tier II vehicle emission standards require that FFVs achieve the same low emissions level regardless of whether E85 or gasoline is used. However, E85 can further reduce emissions of certain pollutants as compared to conventional gasoline or lower volume ethanol blends. For example, E85 is less volatile than gasoline or low volume ethanol blends, which results in fewer evaporative emissions. Using E85 also reduces carbon monoxide emissions and provides significant reductions in emissions of many harmful toxics, including benzene, a known human carcinogen. However, E85 also increases emissions of acetaldehyde--a toxic pollutant. EPA is conducting additional analysis to expand our understanding of the emissions impacts of E85.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/SmartwayLogistics/growandgo/documents/factsheet-e85.htm

References

  1. ^ "New E85 Stations", NEVC FYI Newsletter March 10, 2008
  2. ^ "Canada Advancing E85", National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Newsletter, January 15, 2003
  3. ^ "Canada helps GM clean its fleet", Paul Brent, National Post, 2007
  4. ^ E85 Questions and Answers
  5. ^ Liquor Does It Quicker, Matthew Phenix, Popular Science, accessed April 29, 2008
  6. ^ Cars.com: Fuel Economy | Gas Alternatives
  7. ^ E85 Prices
  8. ^ [http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/120863/article.html Edmunds.com: E85 vs Gasoline Comparison test
  9. ^ http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/OPINION03/608250397/1035/OPINION
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ Consumer Reports. Special Report: The Ethanol Myth, October 2006, p.16.
  12. ^ E85 at Club Rate, accessed September 17, 2007.
  13. ^ Kroger stores are selling E85 at fuel stations nationwide expanding outward from Houston, and Dallas, Texas, accessed September 17, 2007.
  14. ^ HEB stores are also offering E85 at some fuel stations in the Texas Hill Country, accessed September 17, 2007.

See also

Notes


References

  • US Department of Energy

Handbook for Handling Storing and Dispensing E85 National Rewnewable Energy Laboratory, April 2006

  • Center for American Progress

Flex-Fuel Bait and Switch - See how many flex-fuel cars are on the road and how many stations offer E85.

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