Far from being the first at-home
biofuel kit we've
seen, E-Fuel is hoping to target consumers with a hankering for fueling up their vehicle with homegrown goodness. The Micro Fueler claims to be the first backyard Ethanol brewer made specifically for use at one's abode, and according to the outfit's CEO, the premise behind it is quite simple. By mixing water, sugar and yeast, individuals can receive E100 Ethanol in a matter of hours. More specifically, it's noted that a gallon of fuel can be derived from ten gallons of sugar, and while that may not sound like the most efficient conversion rate in the world, the company is quick to point out that costs can be lowered via federal, state and local credits along with carbon trading coupons. Those eager to start fueling up before they even leave the house can order one now for $9,995, though we're told not to expect shipments until Q4.
posted May 9th 2008 10:05AM
Interesting. You're saying that ethanol has higher mass than gasoline?
Jeebus:
No I am saying that ethanol mixed gasoline performs less efficiently than regular gas.
If I can drive 25 miles on 1 gallon of regular gasoline, I will only be able to go 24 to 18 miles with ethanol mixed gasoline at the exact same cost per gallon.
a gallon of ethanol contains about 74% of the energy that a gallon of gas does...
I was commenting on your assertion that one should empty the tank completely every time before refilling, presumably because the ethanol is at the bottom of the tank, separated by gasoline which, again presumably, floats to the top, which would require it to have higher mass than gasoline.
When I last ran the #'s it came out to something like $5 a gallon by buying giant bags of sugar at a wholesale club store.
Definitely not worth it unless you have tons of waste alcohol lying around, so if you're a wine producer or a brewery it might be vaguely useful.
If somebody would invent a car that would run on soft drinks, energy problems would be solved. You can buy generic 2 liters for .50, with is about $2.00 a gallon.
Willy Wonka did it - it can't be that hard. Somebody just needs to pose as an oompa loompa and break into his factory to learn how it is done!!
I am available to accept my noble prize at any time. kthxbye
even if you could run a car off of soda...could you imagine the cleanup and maintenance you'd have to do?
SUGAR would clog your valves.
ooo! we could get steel foundries in our back yards, too!
On the other hand, this is actually funny.
They do add water to milk (2%, low-fat, etc) and charge the same ....... doh
quit driving as much and quit buying cars that eat up 60% more gas
SUV's need to be BANNED
Why is your level of gas consumption acceptable?
SUVS BANNED?
Don't be a fool. They serve their purpose but they do it inneficiently. We need alternative fuels or cleaner SUV's.
Its funny how everyone attacked HUMMER H2's but didn't actually realize that an H2 really isn't getting worse gas mileage than an Escalade ESV, or Navigator or Sequioa when you factor in its Cty/Highway Mpg under true driving conditions.
People who are scared of SUV's are these lil' suckas in Civics, Scions, and funny little Japanese cars that would be crushed by an SUV.
How about banning travel over 50 miles per day? A person driving a Civic 50 miles per day is using a helluva lot more gas than a person who drives an SUV 50 miles per week.
Come on people! You gotta be realistic! I know people who can't fit their family in anything less than an SUV. I also know people who can't get to work without driving more than 50 miles a day. In several cases both apply.
It's not the fuel content, or the way people drive, or what they drive that needs to change, it's the engine efficiency that needs to change. Normal engines do not run any where near 100% efficiency. I know, 100% is impossible, but we can at least try for 95% or so, instead of around 50% efficiency.
The point is this: You can't just ban things you don't agree with. And people shouldn't be judged for what they drive or how much they drive or any of that other garbage. The market will drive the need for more fuel efficient vehicles, more fuel efficient habits and energy alternatives.
boy, it's too bad that when ethanol is burnt in internal combustion engines, it creates more, and more dangerous greenhouses gases, that are worse for the environment, animals, and people than an internal combustion engine running on standard gasoline.
lots of things need to happen but when a rich man says ill give you $500,000 if you ignore this new legislation what are you gunna say? If you say no then you need to run for office.
Hell, the people could just boycott oi but then what happens? But just about EVERYTHING is made from oil nowadays. The History Channel put it best, we are living in 'The Oil Age.' Its gunna stay like this until we the oil reaches its tipping point at over $500 a barrel. Thats when we will get alternative sources of energy.
Personally I think it's just a gimic to get around alcohol taxation rules.
Talk about micobrewery.
I haven't seen anyone mention that fact that this machine works in two modes, using the sugar or getting the ethanol from used beer, wine, liquor. Go down to your local restaurant get them to dump glass of the above into a container instead of throwing it away, pick it up and put that in the machine instead. I would imagine that would reduce the cost significantly.
To quote Homer...Simpson:
In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women.
Damn beat me to it!!
Or in this case, "In America first you get the sugar, then you get the Ethanol, then you get the power. "
If you have one of these in your back yard you don't get the women.
For 10k it better come with a years supply of sugar and yeast!
Today, this morning in fact I disconnected my CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered Toyota Camry from the home refueling unit (compressor) in the garage. http://www.myphill.com/
The unit costs about 4 to 5k installed and fuel is about $1.25 a gallon including electricity to run the compressor. Every day I tell O.P.E.C. to Kiss My A$$.
How many gallons of cng does your car hold and what is your range per full tank?
Sim:
My Camry holds 13 Gasoline Gallon Equilevant (GGE) and has a range of about 300 miles per fill.
A new CNG Honda Civic GX is available now that gets better mileage than my old Camry but it has a smaller tank.
http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-gx/
How much conventional energy does it take for this thing to distill your sugar into trendy energy? Don't forget to factor that into your costs.
For roughly 5000 years, this "conventional energy" has been called fermentation. The sugar is the food which the yeast eats. Alcohol is the shit the yeast excretes.
I weep for the future.
You do realize that the amount of energy that went into harvesting all that sugar is about ten times the amount you are saving. Plus it is food that people can use. WTF is this company thinking!?
We'll figure it out one day very soon... but right now stop being silly. Food is not the answer... unless it is scraps, but by then we won't need... roads.
J
Food costs have gone up because shipping costs and transportations costs have gone up. The rising price of oil has effected the cost of food more then the use of corn. Plus ethanol can be easily made from algae. All you need is a sunlamp and some dirty water to grow algae. The yield from algae is way higher then it is from corn. People in other countries don't worry about what happens in this one, so I am not too worried about what's happening in theirs. If the middle east doesn't have food to eat, that's too bad.
A lot of cars ran on ethanol variants up until Prohibition when the laws changed and it made it illegal to make alcohol. If that had never happened and we spent the decades that have gone by doing research to improve fuel efficiency think of where we would be at today? Ethanol gets slightly less mpg from engines that really weren't designed to run it. Give it a few years and the mileage will be up.
There is also a lot of swamp land down in Florida and land other places they are using to grow sugar cane and other crops that can be used to make ethanol. That ethanol has to be made by facilities and people in this country. So aside from being dependent on OPEC for our gas prices we will eventually be able to control our own. We will also be adding hundreds of thousands of jobs which will help people pump more money into the economy overall. There are larger economic upsides to ethanol then just as an alternative fuel source..
Another thing - last time I checked sugar wasn't a staple in my diet. Do we want to feed the world with sugar ? Think about that, a world stricken with diabetes. You guys should do a little more reading before you open your mouth. You can't live on sugar. And ethanol can be made from anything that contains cellulose. It can even be made from cow shit. The corn and food thing is a scam to drive up commodity prices.
Here, let me help you with that
http://www.befreetech.com/sugar_sweet_poison.htm
let me get this right... 10 gallons of sugar... how much does that cost, compared to 1 gallon of gas.
If you get one don't let the tax man know or he'll hit you with fines for not paying the gas tax.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/599471.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/illinois_man_fi.php
So you’re telling me that this thing will make gallons of moonshine in my backyard in a couple of hours? Where do I signup?
Ain't not food shortage. World throws away enough food to feed the entire worlds population 3 time over. Only thing missing is the will to get it done (and pay for it).
Might as well do something usefull with the sugar we can't eat (that's what inedible means).
Where's Dr. Emmett Brown when you need him....
I just saw this on the news and came online right away to read about it.They didn't say how much this thing costs,and they also didn't say u need a gallon of sugar per gallon of ethanol.There's no way I'm gonna pay 10k for this.
You people who think ethanol destroys engines are idiots,its better because its higher octane,meanining more stable for high compression and forced induction engines,fuel lines are not going to be ruined,im a engineer in design and mods,get educated you fools and cease the Gay emotional outbursts you all sound like religeous philistiens,ethanol is clean burning as well,your petrols are dosed up with touluene to raise the octane after you idiots claimed that the chemical tetraethallead was a problem,look at what you got!toluene is highly carconigenic...idiots!!!!...
Just a word of caution to all you do-it-yourselfers out there. Having one of these devices will violate about a dozen local fire code and zoning ordinances.
Prior to purchase you may wish to check with your local fire officials to make sure that you can do this.
I suspect that the answer will be a resounding NO. The materials you need to make this work and the end product are regulated because they are listed as Hazardous Materials. (specifically flammable liquids)
A fire will happen to someone and it most likely will result in the insurance company voiding the policy because the individual was using a device that isn't code compliant and may not be UL Listed or FM Approved.
This is not a good idea folks!
Ok, let's get one thing straight--this unit does NOT require 10 "gallons" of sugar to produce one gallon of Ethanol. It requires 10-14 POUNDS of sugar to produce one gallon of Ethanol. This is a big difference!
Formula racers have been using alternate fuels for 80 years. Look at the performance they get. It amazes me how the "PINHEADS" complain about the current gas prices and then compliain about every solution that comes along. There's no making them happy (bitch-bitch-bitch). Every fuel has a down-side. Pick the one with the greatest amount of upsides and go with it. We may have to adjust our lifestyles quite a bit, but hey, grow up!
I guess the automobile sitting in your driveway (with flamable fuel in it) is a violation too? This unit falls under the same regulations as an alternate power source for your house (like a propane or diesel generator). You need to have it inspected, when it's installed, for building code regulations (electrical hookups primarily), and you'll need a building permit while having it installed. You don't need a special permit, or license to operate or own it.
Research is important before purchase, but the largest concerns are with your homeowner's insurance policy. State Farm already covers them. The government subsidizes the purchase up to 50% and your taxes will start to immediately see benefits that weren't there before concerning alternate fuels tax benefits (including your car once you're using the fuel).
I think the amount of sugar is not correct. A gallon equals to 128 oz of sugar. A cup is equal to about 7 oz. Sugar is a solid and should be measured in pounds and ounces. The usual amount for one gallon of water to 1 1/2 of sugar plus yeast to produce alcohol at about 18%. So if one gallon of liquid is 18% alcohol, the result should be about 23 ounces of ethanol. You are better off distilling this yourself for under $200. You will get 195% ethanol. There will be some water but that can be delt with in drying it out and getting 200%.
PHOENIXJMARK