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by Apparently, many people are still confused as to the difference between biodiesel and ethanol fuels. As an advocate for biodiesel and alternative energy sources, writer Clayton Cornell outlines and dispels twenty-one biodiesel myths in an attempt to improve understanding. The most significant points to take away are that:
- biodiesel and ethanol are produced by different mechanisms
- biodiesel runs on stock diesel engines while ethanol needs special components
- biodiesel contains nearly twice the energy of ethanol
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Energy/Carbon Balance by PowerPointSamurai :: NR7 :: on 12 April 2008
I don't know what the site cited says, but the University of Minnesota found that biodiesel is at least 93% net energy positive, and 43% carbon negative using soybeans as the feedstock. There are a lot of better feedstocks, with the best being algae, which could produce enough biodiesel on 2% of US land (any area, not farm land) according to the National Renewable Energy Lab's report on the DOE's Aquatic Species program. Of course, this assumes all engines go over to diesel to run it.
I'm betting on a mix of electric cars for commuting, and biodiesel for long hauls with cellulostic ethanol spackeling the gaps.
RE: Energy/Carbon Balance by ldsudduth :: NR7 :: on 13 April 2008
I'm betting on a mix of electric cars for commuting, and biodiesel for long hauls with cellulostic ethanol spackeling the gaps.
Gasoline will still rule the pleasure boating/fishing world. Diesel boat engines are good for long-haul, low speed, and power. But--it's still a two and four-stroke gasoline powered world that gets you on plane and hauling boat and anglers at high rates of speed. even mixed Ethanol-gasoline (over E-10) has been tried, and causes far too many problems. Ethanol loves to absorb water--and guess where boats live?
Electric boat engines exist--and not just trolling motors. But they're low-speed and take many batteries.
Gasoline will rule..