ETHANOL

A component of gasoline that is seeing increased use is ethanol. A member of the alcohol family, it is produced by vegetable matter (not just corn). Ethanol has three physical characteristics that distinguish it.

First, it has 30% fewer BTUs (British Thermal Units) per pound than gasoline. This means that a gallon of ethanol produces less power in an undiluted comparison with a gallon of gasoline and a corresponding reduction in power as percentage of its addition to gasoline (eg: 10% ethanol produces 3% less power with the same jetting). The E85 blend (15% gasoline, 85% ethanol) produces documented losses of mileage of 30-36%.

Second, the detonation suppression characteristics of ethanol and its cousin methanol allow it to be used to raise the effective octane of gasoline it is added to. Gasoline blenders will use this to build the higher octane numbers of mid-grade and premium gasoline. Ethanol’s reduced cost per gallon makes this very attractive. E85 is generally $0.50-0.60 cheaper per gallon than even the 10% dosed gasoline.

Third is the affinity of ethanol for water. Gas line de-icer is made of either methanol or isopropyl alcohol, chemical relatives of ethanol. This means water in the air will be drawn into the fuel. This accelerates the fuel’s degradation and decreases combustibility as explained in section 2. While the exposure to air is reduced in fuel-injected applications, it still is a factor. Combined with the alkaline reactivity of ethanol, fuel system components can suffer.

One other aspect of the ethanol content is just that. When the pump says “may contain up to 10% ethanol,” it may legally contain up to 20% by law, allowing for “error.” At this point in history, the use of ethanol is primarily a politically driven issue. The logic of the use of ethanol in the current format is flawed.

a) It costs more to produce a gallon than it sells for.

b) It accelerates the deterioration of gasoline in storage, even with the use of a
stabilizer.

c) It reduces the power and mileage in all conventional applications.

To allow the proper use of ethanol, compression ratios, cam timing, ignition timing, and jetting/fuel mapping need different configurations. While cams, ignition, and fuel can be adjusted on the fly, compression ratios are not easily or quickly changed. Having run alcohol-burning combinations for 25 years, this is an empirically determined fact.

One of the other less-publicized aspects of the ethanol debate is the fact that there is a $0.54 per gallon tariff on imported ethanol. Just ask your elected representative why this is. Politicians can’t regulate politics much less be trusted to properly regulate the economics and engineering aspects of normal lives. The ethanol debacle is continuing proof of that.

The final pinprick in the balloon of ethanol is the fact that last fall, we switched from BP gas with ethanol to Shell gasoline without ethanol and our gasoline problems have virtually disappeared, to our great delight.

So, if there is a choice – DO NOT USE ETHANOL-BLENDED GASOLINE! Only pure regular gasoline (read the pump carefully). A good way to avoid problems such as this is to be certain you buy gasoline at a name-brand station. The neighborhood convenience store buys gas from a broker, so you have no idea what it is. That gasoline is purchased by price, not specification

Remember- always buy brand name fuels, and avoid ethanol, to reduce the potential entertainment that accompanies poor quality gasoline.