[Milsurplus] Little "Field Day" Genny - ethanol/gasoline

[Gary Pewitt]

On 01/10/2016 09:18 PM, Peter Gottlieb wrote:
> I suppose it does save save some gasoline by replacing it, but the 
> cost is that it takes more energy to make it than you get out of it 
> (or so I've heard).

>
> About 25 to 30 years ago there was a big hubbub about using geothermal 
> wells for turning turbines to generate electricity but it turned out 
> that the steam/hot water wasn't hot enough.  At the same time they 
> were first considering ethanol as a gasolene strecher but as has been 
> said it takes more energy to make it than it produces.  Well DUH!  Why 
> not use the hot water/steam from the geothermal wells to distil the 
> ethanol?  It's plenty hot enough for that and does not require added 
> energy for the process.  And corn is -not- the best source for 
> ethanol, rape seed and other crops work better, and grow on land not 
> suited for other crops, and are not needed for cattle feed so would 
> not escalate the price of corn products.  Why can't otherwise smart 
> people look -outside- the box and see the larger picture?
>