Ethanol Race Fuel – Why Ethanol? Because It Will Save You Money With No Performance Loss
By Rob Fisher, Forrest Jehlik (Circle Track) Shortly after the first installment of Circle Track’s Project G.R.E.E.N. hit the newsstand it became apparent that the project had a multitude of different dimensions, all of which can positively impact the oval track racing marketplace. One of those dimensions that rose to the top very quickly was fuel and fuel choices-more specifically alternative fuels.
Our Motivation
We have gotten a number of reader letters asking us to investigate ethanol vs. methanol vs. gas a little deeper than what was presented in the first article of Project G.R.E.E.N. Among the requests, these letters also demonstrated that there are a lot of misconceptions about how good, bad, or green these fuels may be in the context of racing applications.
…Alternative Fuel
…Ethanol-A Chemistry Lesson
…Benefits
…Methanol-Not Really Green
…To summarize the pros of ethanol with regards to energy security:
• More power: The higher octane rating relative to gasoline delivers more power; in addition, the higher heat of vaporization results in better volumetric efficiencies
• Significant well-to-wheels greenhouse gas reduction: Using ethanol greatly reduces the contribution of gases associated with global warming.
• Renewable: Ethanol is plant/algae/energy crop based and therefore can be regrown.
• Supports domestic markets and agriculture: If produced domestically, money that is normally exported to pay for oil stays local (today, nearly 60 percent of oil that the United States consumes is imported).
…To summarize the cons of ethanol usage:
• Corrosive: Ethanol can be hard on non-synthetic and natural rubber fuel system parts. Engineered solutions are widely available to address this issue.
• Land/labor viability: Considerable land is required to grow the crops, and labor for growing and transporting the crops is required. By using the proper ethanol feedstock, this issue may readily be addressed.
• Lower energy content than gasoline: The inherent lower volumetric energy content discussed with E85 relative to gasoline results in decreased mileage. Methanol is far worse because of its lower energy content. However, power potential versus gasoline is increased in both cases.
…The Bottom Line
…Dustin’s Story
READ MORE
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