Re: Shell's 100-RON fuel - what actually is it?

Pooh Bear wrote:
> 
> Steve wrote:
> 
> 
>>Bret Ludwig wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Alcohols are superior motor fuels in many respects to gasoline,
>>
>>Name ONE way they're superior. I'll name a bunch in which alcohols are
>>inferior:
>>
>>-Lower energy content per gallon means you have to carry more.
>>-Incompatible with a wider range of fuel system materials.
>>-Completely different emissions spectrum (meaning you now have to worry
>>about cleaning up aldehyde emissions instead of HC emissions, so
>>different technology is required).
>>-Almost invisible flame means you can have a raging fuel fire that can't
>>be seen
>>-Stupid from an energy-balance perspective. It takes more energy to
>>prepare as a fuel than it releases when you burn it. When it comes to
>>plant-derived fuels, at least go with a direct product such as plant
>>oils- you get a better energy balance.
> 
> 
> Alcohol does *not* require more energy to 'manufacture' compared to
> gasoline. It's an 'old wives tale' that one.

I never said that. I said that more energy goes IN to making alcohol 
than you get BACK when you use it. The thing about gasoline is that its 
tapping a HUGE reserve of energy captured over millions of years. 
Growing crops and converting them to alcohol can't possibly match that, 
at least not without devoting all the arable cropland we have to growing 
fuel crops (and that's assuming the "organic" foods nuts don't have us 
go back to stone-age farming practices that would leave 2 billion people 
starving even if we used all arable cropland for food). Going straight 
to vegetable OILS might come closer to being practical.