Energy and precious fuels requirements of fuel alcohol production. Volume 1

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6067285· OSTI ID:6067285

Weinblatt, H.; Lawrence, M. F.; Jenkins, D.

In this study, energy requirements for producing alcohol fuels are estimated and are compared to the energy content of the alcohol produced. The comparisons are developed for three alcohol production alternatives: ethanol from grain, methanol from cellulose, and methanol from coal. In the analysis, alcohol fuel and all nonrenewable fuels are valued on the basis of their higher heating value (in Btu), while byproducts and grain and cellulose feedstocks are valued on the basis of the effect their production would have on the consumption of nonrenewable fuels. The effects of changes in agricultural production were analyzed on the basis of their effects on overall agricultural energy consumption (not on average energy consumption associated with present production). All three alcohol production alternatives were found to be effective means of increasing supplies of liquid fuels. The cellulose-to-methanol alternative, however, produces more energy than it consumes. (The favorable energy balance for this feedstock results largely from the use of cellulose as a boiler fuel as well as a feedstock.) The grain-to-ethanol alternative yields a slightly negative energy balance, while the coal-to-methanol alternative (which uses a nonrenewable fuel as both feedstock and boiler fuel) results in a substantially negative energy balance. The report is presented in four volumes. Volume I (NASA CR-168090) contains the main body of the report, and the other three volumes contain appendices.

• Research Organization: Faucett (Jack) Associates, Inc., Chevy Chase, MD (USA); Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-81CS50006
• OSTI ID: 6067285
• Report Number(s): DOE/NASA/0292-1-Vol.1; NASA-CR-168090-Vol.1; JACKFAU-82-299-Vol.1; ON: DE83014585
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010500 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Products & By-Products
09 BIOMASS FUELS
090222* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
295000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Hydrogen & Synthetic Fuels
299003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation-- Other-- (-1989)
ALCOHOL FUELS
ALCOHOLS
CALORIFIC VALUE
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CELLULOSE
CEREALS
COAL
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
ENERGY
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY SOURCES
ETHANOL
ETHANOL FUELS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
METHANOL
METHANOL FUELS
NET ENERGY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
PRODUCTION
SACCHARIDES
SEEDS
SYNTHETIC FUELS