Harmful Effects of Ethanol in Fuel
Whether you like it or not, ethanol will stay in our lives for a while. Although it helps reduce pollution, it can negatively affect the fuel efficiency of vehicles.
If you hear people talking about E10 as a fuel, they are in fact referring to a formulation that contains 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. The automotive industry is working on producing engines that could run on 51 to 83% ethanol, generally referred to as flex fuel or E85.
In the United States, ethanol is derived from corn. However, in certain countries it can be obtained from manure, switchgrass, willows or sugar cane, depending on what is available in abundance and at low prices.
Some of the harmful effects of ethanol in fuel are listed below:
Ethanol produces 34% less energy, compared to pure gasoline, per gallon. This equates to a fuel economy loss of up to 3 miles / gallon for E10 fuels. By comparing the heat produced, ethanol has been found to generate 76,330 BTU / gallon, while diesel fuel generates 128,450 BTU / gallon. Gasoline produces 116,090 BTU / gallon, while LP gas produces 84,950 BTU / gallon. By using E85, fuel economy is further reduced by 7 to 8 mpg, due to the higher ethanol content. Consumer Reports demonstrated a fuel economy loss of up to 30% in 2006 in a Chevy Tahoe designed to run on flex fuel, when tested with unleaded gasoline as well as E85. Reduced fuel economy can also be attributed to improper fuel system calibration, based on computer feedback from oxygen sensors, due to the temperatures required to burn ethanol.
Although almost all grains considered as raw materials are suitable for the manufacture of ethanol, certain grains are more suitable for this purpose. Corn is probably the worst grain that could be used to produce ethanol, but it is preferred to produce ethanol in the US due to its availability in abundance, compared to the rest of all other grains. South America uses sugar cane to make ethanol because it can be more easily refined. Plus, its 1,200 gallon-per-acre yield is higher than that of corn – 300 gallons / acre. To discourage the trade in ethanol derived from sugar cane, the United States Government imposed a tax of 55 cents per gallon, although it is not currently valid.
Being hygroscopic in nature, ethanol can attract water very easily, compared to gasoline. This causes condensation of water within air-borne parts, such as the fuel tank, fuel lines, and carburetor. In addition, the paper filter, used to filter fuel, swells due to the presence of moisture. That means we need to have filter papers specially produced for this purpose, otherwise the flow of fuels will be restricted.
Ethanol corrodes rubber hoses, plastic fuel lines, and fiberglass tanks. This leads to the formation of a corrosive “rust” in the fuel circuit when it condenses on the empty part of tanks containing gas. Also, this rust and the varnish from the steel parts will dissolve and settle to the bottom of the fuel tank. If not removed, they will enter the fuel line when the fuel level is very low. This leads to premature fuel pump failure as it has been shown to pass through the filter and into the pump assembly. Replacing the fuel pump and / or fuel system components are often very expensive repairs for most of us.