[Gasification] OT --- Ethanol in non "flex-fuel" vehicles.

[Carefreeland at aol.com]

Harmon, 
       I have been successfully experimenting/running about E60 through E20 
blends in my vehicles for several years now. I usually top up once with a half 
tank of E85, then the next tank fill up 3/4 or more with regular unleaded. 
This pattern eliminates extra fuel stops to mix.
        I used to have to stop in Columbus, Ohio, 60 miles away to find an 
E-85 pump. Now I have a pump couple miles away. Our price for E-85 here in 
Dayton, Ohio, is only about 30 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. The price in 
many places around the country is as high as unleaded.  I just smile and think 
of the gasoline I saved for someone else when I top up with E- 85. Plus I give 
the ethanol industry the best incentives, sales and cash flow.
        All of my vehicles have throttle bodies. The old '85 Ford Wagon with 
a 302 actually gets the best gas mileage tank after tank with about 30-40% 
ethanol. The 302 engine used to buck with over 40% ethanol in the tank. Then I 
heard that the spark needs to be stronger to penetrate ethanol vapor. I added a 
high performance ignition system and now I can use more ethanol in the blend. 
       I think that more complete combustion combined with the higher octane 
squeezes more power out of a gallon with the right blend. In old engines the 
fact that we are making more steam and less CO2 burning ethanol may help make 
up for leaky rings and valves. I think that ethanol produces more volume but 
less pressure in the combustion process. Definitely cleaner exhaust with the 
E-85 blends. 
        I'd like to add that I pulled my Bobcat with attachments plus other 
gear, on a trailer 1600 miles back and forth to and from Mississippi on a 
blend. The total load was over 16,000 lb. and I have a 350 gasoline motor in a 
Chevy K3500. The best fuel mileage I obtained was with the tanks which contained 
over 30% ethanol. The bigger factor by far in gas mileage was headwind or 
tailwind. 
       My old 85 Ford wagon gets better mileage into the wind on account of 
the ram fuel intake, ethanol or not. That is an unusual observation. 
       I think we need to phase all the gasoline to E-25 and forget it. Today 
I burn 50 gallons of fuel a week running my landscape, mowing, and snow 
removal business. Gasoline cost can be up to 25 percent of my operating budget on 
service call jobs.  I have tracked oil and gasoline markets for 25 years. I am 
sold on ethanol but I think the oil companies which distribute are keeping the 
price too high. 
       Have you ever successfully made a batch of ethanol out of cattails? I 
have some runoff retention ponds to landscape and maintain. I thought of doing 
a little experimental energy farming. Would grass or shrub clippings work in 
a mash with cattails? They contain some sugar. How about green leaves?
        
       Dan Dimiduk 


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