Pros and Cons of Ethanol as Alternative Fuel

Pros and Cons of Ethanol as Alternative Fuel

A Case StudyRoselle Marie D. Azucena, MAN

Case Abstract:

Ethanol fuel is starting to become a viable alternative to petroleum-based fuels. It is being advertised as a renewable and environment friendly source as it comes from corn, a fairly common crop, as opposed to the fossil fuels that comprises much of the fuel in the modern world.

As ethanol has both advantages and disadvantages, it may prove to be both a good and bad influence on the worlds various problems at the present. Because of this, it is vital to decide whether or not ethanol will become a universally viable fuel source in the next 30 years.

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials collectively known as "biomass." More than 95% of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol, typically E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline), to oxygenate the fuel and reduce air pollution.

Ethanol is also available as E85, or high-level ethanol blends. This fuel can be used in flexible fuel vehicles, which can run on high-level ethanol blends, gasoline, or any blend of these. Another blend, E15, has been approved for use in newer vehicles, and is slowing becoming available.

There are several steps involved in making ethanol available as a vehicle fuel:

Biomass feedstocks are grown, collected and transported to an ethanol production facility

Ethanol is produced from feedstocks at a production facility and then transported to a blender/fuel supplier

Ethanol is mixed with gasoline by the blender/fuel supplier to make E10, E15 or E85, and distributed to fueling stations

Ethanol as a vehicle fuel is not a new concept. Henry Ford and other early automakers suspected it would be the world's primary fuel before gasoline became so readily available. Today, researchers agree ethanol could substantially offset our nation's petroleum use. In fact, studies have estimated that ethanol and other biofuels could replace 30% or more of U.S. gasoline demand by 2030.

Fuel PropertiesEthanol (CH3CH2OH) is a clear, colorless liquid. It is also known as ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, and EtOH. Ethanol has the same chemical formula regardless of whether it is produced from starch- and sugar-based feedstocks, such as corn grain (as it primarily is in the United States), sugar cane (as it primarily is in Brazil), or from cellulosic feedstocks (such as wood chips or crop residues).

Ethanol has a higher octane number than gasoline, providing premium blending properties. Minimum octane number requirements prevent engine knocking and ensure drivability. Low-octane gasoline is blended with 10% ethanol to attain the standard 87 octane requirement. Ethanol is the main component in high-level ethanol blends. (See E85 Specification to learn more.)

Ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gasoline, to varying degrees, depending on the volume percentage of ethanol in the high-level blend. Per gallon, ethanol contains about 30% less energy than gasoline. E85 contains about 25% less energy than gasoline.

Pros

Greenhouse Gas Reduction - Corn-based ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 18% to 29% per vehicle mile traveled compared to petroleum-based fuels.

Ethanol Fuel is Renewable and Sustainable-Being a renewable source of energy, the raw materials need sunlight for ethanol to be produced. There are even companies that work on bypassing the harvesting of plant crops to produce ethanol. With that, it is only proved that the production of ethanol can be continued and done for long-term without any risk of using up all raw materials.

Positive Net Energy Balance - Corn-based ethanol has a positive net energy balance of 1.06btu per gallon for 1.00btu of energy used without ethanol by-product credits. With these credits, for things such as DDGS, corn-based ethanol has a positive net energy balance of 1.67btu per gallon for 1.00btu of energy used.

Biodegradable - As ethanol is made with organic materials it is highly biodegradable making spills far less worrysome than petroleum spills. When spilled, 74% of ethanol is broken down within 5 days.

Usable By-Products - The two chief by-products of corn-based ethanol are CO2 and DDGS, both of which are usable in other industries. The CO2 can be captured for use in the food and beverage industry. DDGS can be used for cattle feed or further crushed to extract corn oil, for food or biodiesel production uses.

Most Infrastructure In-place - There are few changes that would need to be made to widely adopt ethanol. Most automobiles available in the U.S. are Flex Fuel capable and there are roughly 2,000 stations already serving E85. While most of these stations are lumped in the Midwest, they are increasing nationwide.

ConsFood vs. Fuel - 2.4 to 2.8 gallons of ethanol can be produced per bushel of corn. As a result, there has been massive media coverage over the use of food as fuel. While there are mountains of findings showing how the use of corn has increased food costs and equal amounts showing it does not, in the end food crops are being used as fuel, making corn-based ethanol inferior to cellulosic ethanol in this regard.

Reduced MPG - Based on 2009 flex fuel vehicles, E85 miles per gallon is expected to be roughly 28.5% lower in the city and 26.5% lower on the highway. This means it takes 1.35 to 1.40 gallons of E85 to equal the mileage of 1.00 gallons of gasoline.

Fuel Transportation - Ethanol absorbs water and is corrosive, which make it difficult to ship through existing pipelines from the Midwest of the U.S., where most production occurs. Remedies include shipping or building dedicated ethanol pipelines, however the most likely scenario seems to involve rail or road transport. The best scenario would be local ethanol plants, with the easiest way to accomplish this through continued development of cellulosic ethanol, where feedstocks are abundant everywhere as opposed to corn or sugar.

Water Absorbtion - Ethanol absorbs water, which can contaminate it as a fuel and makes it more difficult to ship through pipelines. As a result, ethanol has a shorter shelf and tank life than gasoline.

Fueling Locations - The Industry Lacks the Necessary Production Facilities to Produce Ethanol Fuel .There are roughly 2,000 E85 fueling stations in the U.S., with the majority in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A U.S. E85 fueling station. It is also the reason why ethanol fuel stations are lacking. The only place where these can be found is in the Midwest where there is a high production of fuel. It is also the place where corn crops production is high.

There is a Fluctuation in PriceFluctuation in price has always been a variable from the past years that ethanol was produced and used. Its price can be bought in a much cheaper rate compared to gasoline or it can be higher than the latter. The reason behind it is because of the place where corn is abundant and not. If corn is abundant in a place, ethanol is cheaper.

Statement of the Problem: Is Ethanol Truly Beneficial When all Pros and Cons of Ethanol Fuel are Considered?Alternative Solutions:

Right now, researchers are studying a host of energy solutions aside from Ethanol

These solutions include:1. Cellulosic ethanol :Ethanol Energy Balance

In the United States, ethanol is primarily produced from the starch in corn grain. Recent studies using updated data about corn production methods demonstrate a positive energy balance for corn ethanol, meaning that fuel production does not require more energy than the amount of energy contained in the fuel.

Cellulosic ethanol, which is produced from cellulosic feedstocks, is expected to improve the energy balance of ethanol, because cellulosic feedstocks are anticipated to require less fossil fuel energy to produce ethanol. Biomass used to power the process of converting non-food-based feedstocks into cellulosic ethanol is also expected to reduce the amount of fossil fuel energy used in production. Another potential benefit of cellulosic ethanol is that it results in lower levels of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions.

2.HydrogenHydrogen (H2) is being explored as a fuel for passenger vehicles. It can be used in fuel cells to power electric motors or burned in internal combustion engines (ICEs).

It is an environmentally friendly fuel that has the potential to dramatically reduce our dependence on imported oil, but several significant challenges must be overcome before it can be widely used.

Benefits:Produced Domestically. Hydrogen can be produced domestically from several sources, reducing our dependence on petroleum imports.

Environmentally Friendly. Hydrogen produces no air pollutants or greenhouse gases when used in fuel cells; it produces only nitrogen oxides (NOx) when burned in ICEs.

Challenges

Availability. Hydrogen is only available at a handful of locations, mostly in California, though more hydrogen fuelling stations are planned for the future.

Vehicle Cost & Availability. Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), which run on hydrogen, are currently more expensive than conventional vehicles, and they are not yet available for sale to the general public. However, costs have decreased significantly, and commercially available FCVs are expected within the next few years.

Onboard Fuel Storage. Hydrogen contains much less energy than gasoline or diesel on a per-volume basis, making it difficult to store enough hydrogen onboard an FCV to go as far as a comparable gasoline vehicle between fillups. Some FCVs have recently demonstrated ranges comparable to conventional vehiclesabout 300 to 400 miles between fillupsbut this must be achievable across different vehicle makes and models and without compromising customer expectations of space, performance, safety, or cost.

3.Plug-in hybridsA plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV), or plug-in hybrid is a hybrid electric vehicle which utilizes rechargeable batteries, or another energy storage device, that can be restored to full charge by connecting a plug to an external electric power source (usually a normal electric wall socket). A PHEV shares the characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle, having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine (ICE); and of an all-electric vehicle, having a plug to connect to the electrical grid. Most PHEVs on the road today are passenger cars, but there are also PHEV versions of commercial vehicles and vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, scooters, and military vehicles.

The cost for electricity to power plug-in hybrids for all-electric operation has been estimated at less than one quarter of the cost of gasoline in California. Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs reduce air pollution locally and dependence on petroleum. PHEVs may reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, compared with conventional vehicles. PHEVs also eliminate the problem of range anxiety associated with all-electric vehicles, because the combustion engine works as a backup when the batteries are depleted, giving PHEVs driving range comparable to other vehicles with gasoline tanks. Plug-in hybrids use no fossil fuel at the point of use during their all-electric range.

Greenhouse gas emissions attributable to operation of plug-in hybrids during their all-electric range depend on the type of power plant that is used to meet additional demand] on the electrical grid at the time and place where the batteries are charged. If the batteries are charged directly from renewable sources off the electrical grid, then the greenhouse gas emissions are essentially zero.

Other benefits include improved national energy security, fewer fill-ups at the filling station, the convenience of home recharging, opportunities to provide emergency backup power in the home, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.[9]

HYPERLINK "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_hybrid" \l "cite_note-RSC-10" [4.Radical reductions in vehicle weight

In 1993, a highly influential paper by energy analyst Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute suggested that major automakers could use existing materials and technologies to produce an ultra-lightweight, highly fuel-efficient vehicle. The supercar he envisioned would incorporate lightweight plastics, computerized controls, and a hybrid powerplant-a power system that would combine a traditional heat engine and an electric motor, like a modern locomotive. It would weigh roughly 1,000 pounds and achieve well over 150 miles per gallon-yet it would retain the safety and convenience features of todays automobile.

Lovins pointed out, correctly, that the materials and technologies that would make a supercar possible are fundamentally incompatible with the design, manufacturing, and organizational processes around which the automobile industry is structured. He therefore argued that only a revolution in the industry would lead to a supercar; efforts to improve fuel economy and performance through the incremental adoption of new materials and technologies would cost too much and yield too little.

Recommendations:The use of Ethanol is not truly beneficial.Fuel is vital for humans. As the risks of the traditional fuel are realized, the more people aim to find a safer alternative. Ethanol fuel can be truly beneficial especially if the overall effect in the ecosystem is included in the equation. However, there are more disadvantages that outweigh the benefit of its use. Among the various benefits that ethanol brings is the decrease the green gases emitted that are damaging to the environment. This is the very reason why more than 95% of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol, typically E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline), to oxygenate the fuel and reduce air pollution. Ethanol is also greener than gasoline, because corn and other plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The fuel still releases CO2 when you burn it, but the net increase is lower. So Ethanol is widely touted as an eco-friendly, clean-burning fuel. But if every vehicle in the United States ran on fuel made primarily from ethanol instead of pure gasoline, the number of respiratory-related deaths and hospitalizations likely would increase, according to a new study by Stanford University atmospheric scientist Mark Z. Jacobson. His findings are published in the April 18 online edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology noted below will explain that"Ethanol is being promoted as a clean and renewable fuel that will reduce global warming and air pollution," said Jacobson, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. "But our results show that a high blend of ethanol poses an equal or greater risk to public health than gasoline, which already causes significant health damage."

Gasoline vs. ethanol For the study, Jacobson used a sophisticated computer model to simulate air quality in the year 2020, when ethanol-fueled vehicles are expected to be widely available in the United States.

"The chemicals that come out of a tailpipe are affected by a variety of factors, including chemical reactions, temperatures, sunlight, clouds, wind and precipitation," he explained. "In addition, overall health effects depend on exposure to these airborne chemicals, which varies from region to region. Ours is the first ethanol study that takes into account population distribution and the complex environmental interactions."

In the experiment, Jacobson ran a series of computer tests simulating atmospheric conditions throughout the United States in 2020, with a special focus on Los Angeles.

Deaths and hospitalizations The results of the computer simulations were striking.

"We found that E85 vehicles reduce atmospheric levels of two carcinogens, benzene and butadiene, but increase two othersformaldehyde and acetaldehyde," Jacobson said. "As a result, cancer rates for E85 are likely to be similar to those for gasoline. However, in some parts of the country, E85 significantly increased ozone, a prime ingredient of smog."

Inhaling ozoneeven at low levelscan decrease lung capacity, inflame lung tissue, worsen asthma and impair the body's immune system, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The World Health Organization estimates that 800,000 people die each year from ozone and other chemicals in smog.

The study showed that ozone increases in Los Angeles and the northeastern United States will be partially offset by decreases in the southeast. "However, we found that nationwide, E85 is likely to increase the annual number of asthma-related emergency room visits by 770 and the number of respiratory-related hospitalizations by 990," Jacobson said. "Los Angeles can expect 650 more hospitalizations in 2020, along with 1,200 additional asthma-related emergency visits."

The deleterious health effects of E85 will be the same, whether the ethanol is made from corn, switchgrass or other plant products, Jacobson noted.With above presented findings the question is, if we're not getting any health benefits, then why continue to promote ethanol and other biofuels?

Of course we need alternatives to oil. The demand keeps rising as the global economy booms. At first glance, corn seems like a heaven-sent substitute. However as an "alternative" energy, ethanol is enormously expensive yet barely saves a gallon of oil.

Corn doesn't grow like a weed. Modern corn farming involves heavy inputs of nitrogen fertilizer (made with natural gas), applications of herbicides and other chemicals (made mostly from oil), heavy machinery (which runs on diesel) and transportation (diesel again). Converting the corn into fuel requires still more energy. The ratio of how much energy is used to make ethanol versus how much it delivers is known as the energy balance, and calculating it is surprisingly complex.

If the benefits are in doubt, the costs are not. It would take 450 pounds of corn to yield enough ethanol to fill the tank of an SUV. Producing enough ethanol to replace America's imported oil alone would require putting nearly 900 million acres under cultivationor roughly 95 percent of the active farmland in the country. Once we've turned our farms into filling stations, where will the food come from?

CONCLUSIONS:

There are alternatives, such as battery-electric, plug-in-hybrid and hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles, whose energy can be derived from wind or solar power. These vehicles produce virtually no toxic emissions or greenhouse gases and cause very little disruption to the land unlike ethanol made from corn or switchgrass, which will require millions of acres of farmland to mass-produce. It would seem prudent, therefore, to address climate, health and energy with technologies that have known benefits.