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Air-powered car?



I think the plant you are thinking of is called switch grass. There's some 
new techniques that get ethanol from cellulose rather than corn. And there 
is a way to still use the waste as a livestock feed I think. I'm working on 
my masters in Mechanical engineering and I may end up on an ethanol project 
here at the Michigan State U engine lab. The guy I'm working with thinks 
that we can overcome some of the drawbacks of ethanol by tuning an engine to 
take advantage of the higher octane. Since the stuff only has like 60% of 
the energy content of gasoline he's hoping we can setup an engine with a 
higher comp ratio to get some of the power back.

Andy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Haygood" <haygood@myway.com>
To: <fahrvergnugen@cox.net>; <scirocco@vintagewatercooleds.com>; 
<camron@worldaccessnet.com>
Cc: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 5:58 PM
Subject: RE: Air-powered car?



Well, I'll accept the term Moron as slang for ignorant and trusting for the 
time being (just kidding).  As for the Ethanol REI, it's still a decent 
enough deal if you are, say, Brazil, and can make enough of it in house to 
run almost anything.  E85 is equivalent to what, 109octane, I think the 
number was.  If it gets anywhere at all in the US it will be because people 
think its a bigger deal than it is.  What was the name of that brushy plant 
you can supposedly get twice the ethanol from?  It grows without any help in 
most of Texas and Oklahoma and give twice the ethanol per acre as the 
Brazilians' sugar cane and like 4 times what corn does.  Sorry I can't 
remember enough to speak coherently, but it sounds more promising that most 
alternatives.  The idea that you could chip or retune just about anything to 
run on it (ethanol) is somewhat encouraging in the short run.



As for solar cells to power air compressors to power cars, why don't you go 
ahead and use the solar cells to produce electricity to run your home, and 
maybe charge the batteries in your electric car (if you are comfortable with 
the whole battery polution thing), and leave the inneficient bits of air 
compression out of it.  Better yet, use the electricity in your home and run 
your car on the best current alternative - diesel.



BH









 --- On Sun 10/29, David Utley < fahrvergnugen@cox.net > wrote:

From: David Utley [mailto: fahrvergnugen@cox.net]

To: scirocco@vintagewatercooleds.com, camron@worldaccessnet.com

     Cc: scirocco-l@scirocco.org

Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:49:21 -0600

Subject: RE: Air-powered car?



Eric,  The morons believe they are doing something good because they believe 
thepoliticians have told them they are.  Most folks don't research it 
anyfurther.  IMO, that makes them ignorant, and trusting, but not 
morons...:-DDavid-----Original Message-----From: Eric S 
[mailto:scirocco@vintagewatercooleds.com] Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 
5:43 PMTo: Camron D. CrouseCc: scirocco-l@scirocco.orgSubject: Re: 
Air-powered car?Ethanol is absolute garbage, and the link you provided is 
absolutelycorrect.  Ethanol has a negative REI (Return on Energy 
Invested).Flex fuel is for morons that THINK they are doing something 
good.And now Cameron, some reading for 
you:http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/--  
Ericwww.vintagewatercooleds.com1979 Dasher Coupe 2.0 8v1981 Scirocco S (TDI 
swap project)1990 Fox Wagon 1.6 Heron Head 8v1991 Cabriolet (2.0 crossflow 
8v project)Camron D. Crouse said:> Eric S wrote:>>> Rave Racer (and you guys 
were giving me shit about not using my real>> name>> 10 years
ago) is correct here though, using easily accessable "free">> energy like 
Solar, this motor could be quite efficient.  Biggest>> maintainance item I 
could see would be the air dyers needed so the tank>> in>> the car wouldn't 
rot.  Someone like me that lives in a very dry climate,>> and very sunny, 
could have a very simple closed system with solar panels>> on my garage, and 
never have to pay for gas again (bonus, you could run>> your air tools for 
"free" as well).>>>> Regardless, if done properly, this is a MUCH safer, and 
*possibly* more>> efficient system than hydrogen (fuel cell or piston 
engine).>>> Sounds like someone has been hanging out in the Tesla Motors 
blogs...>> http://www.teslamotors.com/blog1/index.php?p=22&js_enabled=1>>> - 
Camron from Vancouver, WA USA>     '86.5 Black 16V 2.0L Scirocco>> 
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