Jim in Tucson

iTrader: (3)

Byproduct use makes corn ethanol a net energy gain

Aug 27th 2010 at 7:52PM

"For the past several years, the answer to the question of whether producing ethanol from corn is a net energy benefit or loss has depended on who you asked. An assortment of studies have come down on both sides of the equation. Michigan State University professor Jake Ferris comes down firmly on the net benefit side in an op-ed published by the Lansing State Journal.

Ferris references a study released by the U.S. Department of Energy in June of this year that concluded that corn ethanol yields 2.3 BTUs of energy for every BTU used to grow it. It turns out that the calculation in this study added in a factor for the reuse of the waste materials from ethanol production. The distillers' dried grain that is left over from the milling and fermentation process is now commonly being incorporated into livestock feed in place of raw corn grain and high protein meal. Since feedstocks that have already been grown are replacing the need to grow more, there is a net positive change in the energy balance."

1outlaw

Jim- the oil patch and big food manufacturers did hammer the old return on btu invested story and much of it was based on 70's technology. Of course they never shared that for every btu of crude going into gas/diesel/other product production only yielded 0.75 to 0.8 btu out (this was the case for the 26 years I was in the fossil fuel only business- and while it is getting better at the refinery- it is getting far worse gathering the crude). Furthermore they grudgingly claim sugar cane is better but never tell you that while corn ethanol produces a concentrated high protein feed product, cane does not.
While they burn the cane fiber for power to run the plant, corn ethanol producers do not want to burn their by-product for power, but instead make feed. If we burned the feed to make power corn ethanol's gain ratio would be huge.

2/3 of the ethanol I sell as E85 is from corn- 1/3 is from waste whey coming from smaller cheese plants after they also make not only cheese, but a feed product.

MinusPrevious

iTrader: (3)

Good topic Jim. A bit over the top for most EVOM'rs IMO. More of a PlantE85 thread=)

I am more of a simpleton regarding the in depth particulars of E85 & just hope it continues to grow & prosper

A question for 1OutLaw. How does POET play into the ethanol growth in the U.S. ??? Ive seen their cute commercials & wonder what role they play in the mix.

http://www.poet.com/

Peace

1outlaw

Poet was the builder of many plants here in the USA. My understanding is that if you wanted Poet to build your plant, then they maintained the marketing rights to your ethanol, CO2, and distillers grain- along with other control of what processes you use.

Other builders were ICM, who gave a bit more freedom is the sales of products and control but also was very much in control of all the processes you use. Yet another builder was ADM who only designed and built their own plants. Yet another builder was Delta T who let you incorporate certain other processes and market everything yourself.

Poet (former Broin) is a major force in the ethanol industry due to the number of plants they control and also their support of Growth Energy.

Our plant is a Delta T design so I am not well versed on the other companies so much. delta T's claim to fame was not only the freedom they give but in the efficiency of their distillation/ mole sieve design.

SmurfZilla

iTrader: (33)

Interesting read.

David Buschur

iTrader: (53)

Very interesting.

I've got a still for producing ethanol, federal permit and all. I've had it now for about 3 years and haven't produced a drop. The laws/rules on producing it are fairly strict and the one thing holding me back was the location. I am in the process now of building a new barn which will finally allow me to give it a shot.

The fuel is just awesome.

I have also recently become interested in steam turbines and have some silly ideas for what I am going to build in this barn, power the barns electric and boil the mash to produce the ethanol. Hopefully I can stay motivated enough to actually pull it all off.

One of the reasons I have a renewed interest in producing ethanol again is a few farm animals I have and being able to use the old mash for feed, it's just really a win-win situation from that stand point.

Thanks for the post.