Ethanol - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#16 02-19-2006, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biodiesel300TD

Another thing to think about is the fact that ethanol and biodiesel crops are crops that can be used as food. So if the profit margine for selling the crops to fuel producers is higher than the food producers farmers are going to sell their crops to the fuel folks, thus cutting into food production. This could cause a big problem.

I do agree but on a different level, I foresee farmers looking at their land as an oil well instead of a corn field. OTOH, the BLM, CRP and other subsidised grounds can be put to work most estimate say that we utilize only 22% of the active farm potential and that does not include all of the non active fields that could be used. Again with market forces there will be a better yield of corn, soy and rapeseed because of the profit incentive. A nationwide drought without could be a disaster as well.

aklim · #17 02-19-2006, 09:50 PM

My 02 with a 5.3 had Flex Fuel. I tried it once. Mileage sucked and so did power which was an issue when towing a trailer. Ran that tank as dry as I dared and filled it up with the good stuff. Never again.

PC Dave · #18 02-19-2006, 10:07 PM

Vinod Khosla was a founder of Sun Microsystems before joining Kleiner Perkins (probably the bluest-chip Silicon Valley venture capital fund) as their top partner; for most of the last decade he's been ranked as one of the top 2 or 3 individual VC's by the industry rags that care about stuff like that. Khosla's a very smart guy, and he's made well over $1 billion personally from his carry on the companies he's founded. He chose not to be a partner in Kleiner's latest fund (in essence, he's retired, though he'll continue to serve on boards of his companies from before this fund). Instead, he's focusing on investing his own capital, his favorite area is biofuels (i.e. ethanol). This powerpoint he put out in December is excellent:

http://www.ostp.gov/pcast/Jan06/Biofuels_Dec2005.v3.1.pdf

#19 02-19-2006, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

My 02 with a 5.3 had Flex Fuel. I tried it once. Mileage sucked and so did power which was an issue when towing a trailer. Ran that tank as dry as I dared and filled it up with the good stuff. Never again.

Something was wrong because you should get the opposite reaction.

peragro · #20 02-19-2006, 10:18 PM

I did hear the other day that Willie Nelson had opened a biodiesel station in San Diego. Pure hearsay, but it would be pretty cool if he did. If it's true, the next time I'm down there I'll fill up with a tank of Willie-fuel.

peragro · #21 02-19-2006, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

My 02 with a 5.3 had Flex Fuel. I tried it once. Mileage sucked and so did power which was an issue when towing a trailer. Ran that tank as dry as I dared and filled it up with the good stuff. Never again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medmech

Something was wrong because you should get the opposite reaction.

I don't think so. As I remember gasoline has more chemical energy stored in the molecular bonds than does ethanol. Could be wrong though, wouldn't be the first time.

Biodiesel300TD · #22 02-19-2006, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peragro

I did hear the other day that Willie Nelson had opened a biodiesel station in San Diego. Pure hearsay, but it would be pretty cool if he did. If it's true, the next time I'm down there I'll fill up with a tank of Willie-fuel.

Willie Nelson is a big advocate of biodiesel. Here is a link to the location you can find bio-willie, looks like you can find it in Califonia, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
http://www.wnbiodiesel.com/locations.html

I don't really think we need to completely quite petroleum fuels. We just need to start using other fuels as well. Spread out the type of fuel we use so that if something happens to one there are still other sources of fuel, and that way our dependency isn't based on one product.
Fuels that are grown are certainly not perfect. If a big drought or plant disease/pathogen comes along the fuel supply for the year is shot. I also think if we are going to support our fuel uses we need to figure out how to get the most fuel out of a product as possible. A mear 45 gal/acre that soy yeild is fine for now, but as biodiesel becomes more popular and the demand goes up that yeild ain't gonna cut it.

peragro · #23 02-19-2006, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biodiesel300TD

Willie Nelson is a big advocate of biodiesel. Here is a link to the location you can find bio-willie, looks like you can find it in Califonia, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
http://www.wnbiodiesel.com/locations.html

Thanks! Couple of places down in the San Diego area. I'll check them out next time I'm there.

TheDon · #24 02-20-2006, 08:41 AM

i feel so dirty.. i filled up my 300D with dino diesel.. but its all i have my biodiesel went bad and im selling the processor since i have no time for it.. school is more important.. but im not going to stop trying to use it.. im still in the co-op ill just do stuff in exchange for bio.. ya know

my moms last car could run on E85 it was a for taurus FFV (flex fuel vehicle) i still like my diesel so torquey off the line it just pulls

aklim · #25 02-20-2006, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedMech

Something was wrong because you should get the opposite reaction.

No mistake. A while after I filled up and the mileage and power sucked, I took off the battery terminal, dumped some gas dry in it and ran it to the next fill with the same junk. Pulled battery again and tried it. No luck. SSDD. Soon as the tank was almost empty I filled it up with the regular stuff, took the battery off to make it forget the experience and it was a new truck. I know my truck was an E85 vehicle because I ran the VIN and there was an E85 sticker. But all is well, I traded it in for the diesel Excursion with the 7.3L Powerstroke. Life is good except now if the temp drops below 30 and you don't have it plugged in, beware.

aklim · #26 02-20-2006, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDon

i feel so dirty.. i filled up my 300D with dino diesel.. but its all i have my biodiesel went bad and im selling the processor since i have no time for it.. school is more important.. but im not going to stop trying to use it.. im still in the co-op ill just do stuff in exchange for bio.. ya know

my moms last car could run on E85 it was a for taurus FFV (flex fuel vehicle) i still like my diesel so torquey off the line it just pulls

Did it change anything running E85? My truck was OK if you didn't pull anything. Pull a trailer and watch out.

TheDon · #27 02-20-2006, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Did it change anything running E85? My truck was OK if you didn't pull anything. Pull a trailer and watch out.

we tried E85 once.. something didnt feel right.. and the milage was lower than it should of been

plus .. how can they be certain it is E85 .. if i take a 1 litre sample will it be 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.. i always questioned it.. i even question B20 and the lot.

aklim · #28 02-20-2006, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDon

we tried E85 once.. something didnt feel right.. and the milage was lower than it should of been

plus .. how can they be certain it is E85 .. if i take a 1 litre sample will it be 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.. i always questioned it.. i even question B20 and the lot.

They'd better be if it is on the pump. AFAIK, in WI if you change your fuel to say 10% ethanol you have to put the sticker and let people know there is up to 10% ethanol in the pump. That is what I use to avoid the ethanol crap.

#29 02-20-2006, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peragro

Ethanol is probably fine until everyone decides they want to use it. A few months back we had a thread about growing your own rapeseed crop to supply biodiesel. All in all a more efficient thing to do as diesels are more efficient engines than are gasoline engines. However, in order to supply all the diesel vehicles on the road today with biodiesel which is homegrown you would have to plant all of the arable land in the country with rapeseed or soy and you'd still come up short. Not very practical.

I wonder if they would be able to grow it on the moon or mars in the future.....

TheDon · #30 02-20-2006, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

They'd better be if it is on the pump. AFAIK, in WI if you change your fuel to say 10% ethanol you have to put the sticker and let people know there is up to 10% ethanol in the pump. That is what I use to avoid the ethanol crap.

id be happy if they had a dual pumping set up.. with one nozzle.. example

select the amount of fuel total.. then you put the nozzle in and it pumps 85% of what your purchasing as ethanol and the 15% as gasoline.. the same could be applied to biodiesel.. that is the only way i trust im getting my B20 or E85.. ya dig?