Subject: {FIRSTNAME}, Alternative Fuel According to the Numbers

Hello {FIRSTNAME},


I hope you enjoyed the sixth course on global warming, finally we are going to look at alternative fuel according to the numbers.

Here is a recap of the e-course schedule:

Part 1: What Are Alternative Fuels
Part 2: Why Are Gas Prices So High
Part 3: Alternative Fuel Vehicles	
Part 4: Gasoline and Oil	
Part 5: Environmental Damage
Part 6: Global Warming
Part 7: Alternative Fuel According to the Numbers

With that being said... Lets get rolling shall we  :)
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Part 7: Alternative Fuel According to the Numbers

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Is it any cheaper to produce alternative fuels?  The answer is simply - sometimes.

Ethanol

Ethanol, as we’ve already addressed is basically 85 percent grain alcohol and 15 percent gasoline.  It is a cleaner burning fuel and provides more horsepower than gasoline alone.  While ethanol burns cooler than gasoline, it doesn’t provide enough power to get an engine started on cold days which is why gasoline is added to the mixture.
With the rising popularity of E85 gasoline, more vehicles are being produced that can accommodate this new fuel.  E85 fueling stations are currently available in 36 states (as of 2006), and over 6 million vehicles that can use E85 have been sold.
The performance of E85 vehicles is potentially higher than that of gasoline vehicles because E85's high octane rating allows a much higher compression ratio, which translates into higher thermodynamic efficiency. However, the flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that retain the capacity to run on gasoline alone can't really take advantage of this octane boost since they also need to be able to run on pump-grade gasoline.

Methanol

Methanol is wood alcohol and, like ethanol, is blended in an 85/15 blend with gasoline.  Methanol is produced through a steam and catalyst process that reconstitutes methane gas as methanol.  
We know that methane gas is one of the primary causes of global warming and environmental degradation, but the way methane is processed into methanol safely turns it into safer methane.  That safer methane can power vehicles with considerably less damage to the environment than methane by itself.
Currently, virtually all methanol produced in the United States uses methane derived from natural gas. However, methane also can be obtained from coal and from biogas, which is generated by fermenting organic matter--including byproducts of sewage and manure.
On a positive note, methanol is a potent fuel with an octane rating of 100 that allows for higher compression and greater efficiency than gasoline. Pure methanol isn't volatile enough to start a cold engine easily and when it does burn, it does so with a dangerously invisible flame. Blending gasoline with methanol to create M85 solves both problems.

Compressed Natural Gas

Natural gas can be used to fuel internal-combustion engines. The most practical strategy is to handle it as compressed natural gas (CNG). 
Natural gas is typically found in underground deposits, often with petroleum, and is obtained by drilling. To use natural gas, the methane component--which makes up 50 to 100 percent of natural gas--must be processed to remove contaminants as well as other useful fuels such as butane and propane.
With an octane rating of up to 130, CNG has the potential to optimize an engine's thermodynamic efficiency through a high compression ratio. However, many CNG vehicles are able to run on either CNG or gasoline, which makes the octane advantage obvious. 
According to the DOE, a CNG-fueled Honda Civic GX--the sole widely available CNG-only vehicle in the United States--produces 90 percent less CO and 60 percent less nitrogen oxides (NOx) than its gas-powered counterpart. And, CO2 is reduced by 30 to 40 percent. According to the company, the car's exhaust is cleaner than the air in some high-pollution areas.
For a vehicle to carry enough CNG to travel a reasonable distance, the gas has to be compressed to 3000 to 3600 psi (pounds per inch). At 3600 psi, CNG has about one-third as much energy as gasoline--about 44,000 BTU per unit volume--and the tank must be far larger, heavier and more expensive than a conventional one.

For more information about alternative fuel, please refer to my website   <YOUR WEBSITE URL>

Take Care,
Derek Robson
AltPower
http://www.altpower.yolasite.com