ethanol

The expanding Flex Fuel Vehicles and Ethanol

May 1, 2006May 1, 2006 e85 consumer Leave a comment

Many vehicles on the road today can run on blends of ethanol and gasoline, most on lower-level blends such as E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline), and many on higher level blends such as E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline). Because of the abundance of ethanol-compatible vehicles, the future is bright for ethanol as a fuel.

Most of today’s commercially available vehicles can run on blends of E10, which is mandated in some areas of the country to act as a fuel oxygenate to improve air quality.

In addition, many newer vehicles can use E85, which qualifies as an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Vehicles that can run on E85, gasoline, or any mixture of the two are called flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). FFVs are widely available and include sedans, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks. More than 5 million FFVs have already been sold in the United States, although many of the buyers remain unaware that they have the option to fuel with E85.

General Motors recently announced a new E85/FFV campaign, "Live Green, Go Yellow." Learn more about this marketing campaign by visiting the GM Web site.

Because of limited crude oil supplies and refining capacity, and rising concern over environmental degradation, there is a good market outlook for ethanol. Ethanol can be produced not only from corn, barley, and wheat, but also from cellulose feedstocks such as corn stalks, rice straw, sugar cane bagasse, pulpwood, switchgrass, and municipal solid waste. Because of the variety of feedstocks that can be used, ethanol offers tremendous opportunities for new jobs and economic growth outside the traditional "grain belt."

Currently, most E85 fueling stations are located in the Midwest, but infrastructure is growing nation wide. Flex Fuel vehicles can fuel at these stations today.

Looking into the future, the ethanol industry envisions a time when ethanol may be used as a fuel to produce hydrogen for fuel cell vehicle applications.

Converting fueling equipment for ethanol e85 fuel

April 30, 2006April 30, 2006 e85 consumer Leave a comment

Use the information on this page as a guide to help convert existing fuel pumps to be E85 compatible. This page intends to provide a general guide to the process, but you should consult a professional as well. Every fueling location is unique and there may be some additional steps that should be taken based on your individual location requirements.

How can I convert my current fueling equipment to E85?
Understanding the issues related to converting existing equipment to be E85 compatible is an important step to installing an E85 infrastructure. In general, newer petroleum equipment that is in good condition may be used with E85 in most areas of the country and with minor modifications. Local and state requirements will vary and your project contractor will know your local rules.

Three primary concerns exist with converting existing equipment to E85 fueling.

1. Condition of the existing equipment: Your tank and lines must be clean because the high-alcohol content of E85 will “clean out” and absorb contamination left behind by years of petroleum and diesel fuel storage. If the previous fuel used in the equipment was an ethanol-blended gasoline, this may pose less of a concern. Converting diesel equipment may require more thorough cleaning due to scale that may have built up in these systems.

2. Compatibility: In addition, older fuel lines and dispenser components may not be compatible with the higher alcohol content of E85. Just as with petroleum dispensing systems, vigilance and periodic maintenance checks can help prevent leaks and component failures. If using an older dispenser, it is advisable to check them on a monthly basis regardless of what fuel is used.

Components on newer fueling equipment are often tested to be “100% Methanol or Ethanol” compatible and have been used with E85 for several years without incident.

There are no known compatibility concerns with steel tanks and E85. According to Sullivan Curran of the Fiberglass Tank and Pipe Institute (National Petroleum News interview of June 2004), single-wall fiberglass tanks may not be appropriate for fuel ethanol concentrations of greater than 30 percent. The same is not true of double-wall fiberglass tanks or fiberglass pipe; however, this should be verified with your supplier.

3. Metering Accuracy: If incompatible materials are present within the fuel dispenser and its metering system, over time, the possibility exists for the meter to fail or become less accurate. Some manufacturers feel this is a very important concern and will not extend warrantees to non-petroleum uses of their dispensers. In a decade of use in E85 pilot markets, dispenser failures have been rare. If a dispenser meter were to fail, it would lead to more (not less) fuel dispensed than would be registered. At retail locations where weights and measures agencies check fuel dispensers, a problem will be discovered during annual testing if not immediately by the station’s fuel accounting system.

Although E85 dispenser failures are rare, fuel contamination problems have been uncovered. In nearly every case, these were attributed to poor tank cleaning or a failure to use the proper filters, nozzle, or hose. At a minimum, all E85 fueling systems should use non-aluminum nozzles, 1- or 2-micron dispenser filters, and an alcohol compatible hose (e.g. Teflon-coated).

Ethanol Fuel, E85 Specifications and Handling

April 29, 2006April 29, 2006 e85 consumer Leave a comment

The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed E85 fuel specifications to ensure proper starting, operation, and safety. Please refer to the table below for ASTM D5798-99 Standard Specification for Fuel Ethanol for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engines.
This table of minimum commercial standards is also found on page 10 of the Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 (PDF 3 MB) Download Adobe Reader. Please ensure the fuel delivered to your storage tank is guaranteed by your supplier to meet these standards. Include this spec as a requirement in your supply contract.

E85, like gasoline and diesel fuels, is seasonally adjusted to ensure proper starting and performance in different geographic locations. For example, E85 sold during colder months often contains 70% ethanol and 30% petroleum to produce the necessary vapor pressure for starting in cold temperatures. An E85 fueling site operator typically cannot carry over summer-blend E85, but rather must "blend down" any remaining summer fuel to make an E70 mixture. This may be done with relative ease by adding additional gasoline to the storage tank. There is no concern with carrying over winter-blend E70 into warmer months as flexible fuel vehicles operate on any blend of E85 and gasoline in during warmer times. For retail service stations, seasonal fuel adjustments are handled automatically at the wholesale fuel terminal.

Please refer to the Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85, Table 3 (p. 10) and Appendix A (pg. 22-23), for seasonal blending requirements in your area. In Table 3, the Value of Class refers to the Volatility Class by Month found in Appendix A. We encourage you to provide a copy of this reference guide to your personnel, equipment, or fuel suppliers or any prospective service station that will be working with E85.

Table 3. ASTM D 5798-99 Standard Specification for Fuel Ethanol for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engines
Property	Value of Class			Test Method
ASTM volatility class	1	2	3	N/A
Ethanol, plus higher alcohols (minimum volume %)	79	74	70	ASTM D 5501
Hydrocarbons (including denaturant) (volume %)	17-21	17-26	17-30	ASTM D 4815
Vapor pressure at 37.8ï¿½C kPa psi	38-59 5.5-8.5	48-65 7.0-9.5	66-83 9.5-12.0	ASTM D 4953 D 5190 D 5191
Lead (maximum, mg/L)	2.6	2.6	3.9	ASTM D 5059
Phosphorus (maximum, mg/L)	0.3	0.3	0.4	ASTM D 3231
Sulfur (maximum, mg/kg)	210	260	300	ASTM D 3120 D 1266 D 2622
Methanol (maximum, volume %)		0.5	N/A
Higher aliphatic alcohols, C3-C8 (maximum volume %)		2		N/A
Water (maximum, mass %)		1.0		ASTM E 203
Acidity as acetic acid (maximum, mg/kg)		50		ASTM D 1613
Inorganic chloride (maximum, mg/kg)		1		ASTM D 512 D 7988
Total chlorine as chlorides (maximum, mg/kg)		2		ASTM D 4929
Gum, unwashed (maximum, mg/100 mL)		20		ASTM D 381
Gum, solvent-washed (maximum, mg/100 mL)		5.0		ASTM D 381
Copper (maximum, mg/100 mL)		0.07		ASTM D 1688
Appearance	Product shall be visibly free of suspended or precipitated contaminants (shall be clear and bright).			Appearance determined at ambient temperature or 21ï¿½C (70ï¿½F), whichever is higher.

N/A = Not applicable