Yup, we're going to have to richen our mixtures. Maybe find some new
needle setup, too, when butanol comes.
Cellulosic ethanol (or butanol now, I guess) has been a biofuels dream for
many years. Lots of work on the subject by university and industrial
researchers. The fact that DuPont and BP feel they're getting close means
at least a little bit -- those guys aren't complete idiots at technology
and making products. (Having worked for DD for over twenty years, the
company's abilities aren't completely unknown to me).
At the same time, it's not trivial, as you say, Dave. Nature created
starch to be an energy store for the emerging seed, and it's rapidly broken
down into things that provide energy as a result. Nature created cellulose
to be a durable, load-bearing element in plants. The simple change from
alpha-linked anhydroglucose units to beta-linked makes all the difference
in the world, and turns the polysaccharide into a structural polymer. It's
a good thing, too. If the cellulose in trees were subject to ready
enzymatic degradation, my back yard would be a mess.
One to watch. There's enough effort being applied to this that some sort
of *technical* success is likely.
On Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 4:43 PM, <Dave1massey@cs.com> wrote:
> Butanol looks promising but I think his statement is a bit over optimistic.
> The wiki article specifies a 14.6:a A/F ratio for gasoline and 11.1:1 for
> Butanol. The car will run but it will be a bit lean.
>
> For alcohol fuels to be viable economically they will have to develop
> techniques to use cellulosic materials rather than just corn syrup. As a
> friend
> of mine says, extracting hydrocarbons from cellulose is like trying to
> extract cement back out of concrete. It can be done but it takes a lot
> more
> capital investment.
>
> Dave (staying technical)
>
>
>
> In a message dated 6/12/2013 11:44:59 AM Central Daylight Time,
> don.hiscock@gmail.com writes:
> > Dave, yes I'm told too (by a friend who's a CEO of a corn ethanol
> > company)
> > that biobutanol will be handled exactly like gasoline. We were having a
> > drink the other day as my TR3B was parked on the street in front of us,
> > and
> > he pointed to my car noting that butanol would be indistinguishable from
> > gasoline in it.
> >
> > One of the other developments underway is cellulosic butanol at some
> > point,
> > too.. DuPont and BP have a venture that is ready to break ground on an
> > ethanol/biobutanol plant from corn stover.
> >
> > More from Wikipedia on butanol fuel (
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butanol_fuel). In theory, about a 10%
> > consumption hit for butanol.
> >
> > Gasoline:
> > Fuel energy density 32 MJ/L
> > RON 91 99
> >
> > MON 81 89
> >
> > Butanol fuel
> > Fuel energy density 29 MJ/L
> > RON 96
> > MON 78
> >
> > Don
>
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