Oh If I could only have a Linux-powered motorcycle engine running on solar!
On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 7:59 AM, keith smith <
klsmith2020@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Why not solar power? The sun shines strong in Arizona!
>
>
>
> Mike Garfias <mike@garfias.org> wrote:
>
> On May 9, 2008, at 3:39 AM, Robert N. Eaton wrote:
>> I, too, think ethanol is a remarkable fuel for racing. It burns cool,
>> it allows very high compression ratios, and it produces very high
>> specific outputs for a given capacity engine.
>>
>> BUT, it contains about one fourth as many calories as gasoline, pound
>> for pound. This means that to reach a certain power output, the engine
>> needs four times as much ethanol. One author I read stated that there
>> just isn't enough arable land in the world to support our energy habit
>> on an ethanol economy and still allow us to eat.
>>
>> Bob Eaton
>>
>
> Its more like 67% not 25% (23.5MJ/L vs 34.8MJ/L). You also make up
> for some of that with the efficiency boost from running higher
> compression. As a racing fuel goes, gasoline (specifically a racing
> formula high in toluene or xylene) is a better fuel than ethanol. In
> the turbocharged F1 days, they were running nearly straight toluene in
> order to run the massive boost levels that gave approximately 1000hp/
> Liter.
>
> Toluene is 114 octane, vs ethanols 116, but has a higher energy
> density. Xylene has toluene's energy density combined with 117 octane.
>
> Also, a lot of the studies that show ethanol is bad thing are based
> on a corn derived ethanol. The process is inefficient (1 unit of
> energy in gives 1.34units out). Brazil uses sugar cane derived
> ethanol which gives 8 units for every one going in. The only reason
> we're doing it with corn is because of the corn lobby and its federal
> subsidies.
>
> If they can ever get cellulosic ethanol production to ramp, all the
> left overs from farming, cutting the lawn, your old veggies, etc could
> be used.
>
> Again, ethanol isn't a bad idea, its just being done stupidly. Which
> makes me suspect that it might be done this way to tighten up the
> global food supply to raise prices and keep the US in power as the
> "world leader".
>
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>
> ------------------------
> Keith Smith
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--
Thanks,
Dan Lund
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