"Inspired" by gas prices...

[hoytedow]

Two bushels of dry corn only fills 16 gallons. It won't all become alcohol. Some of it goes over the hillside.

One bushel of corn (8 gallons dry) only makes 2.8 gallons of ethanol.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_c...lon_of_ethanol

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Discuss:Ho...lon_of_ethanol

I guess it all depends on what size tank you are using.

[WestVanHan]

Corn isn't the best...but sugar cane won't grow in N America.
Supposedly some sugar beets may give 50-100% higher yields per acre but who knows yet,still won't be enough.

[Boston]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

So why use corn?

And... why would I buy a diesel engine in the post apocalyptic world when I can power a gasoline one I already own for free?

well ya don't run alcohol in a diesel engine, so not sure why your asking about buying one. Not sure where your getting your gas or if your making it but its not free unless you also get the feedstocks free

as for why use corn, it was popular and still is for making alcohol. I don't agree with using it, but it still the primary feed stock as far as I know

[michael pierzga]

Using food for fuel is scary. It cant be sustainable and poses moral questions. .

Also consider that food crops will be genetically engineered to produce a higher energy output. This engineering to benefit the market value of big energy business at the expense of the food supply could be dangerous

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by WestVanHan

Corn isn't the best...but sugar cane won't grow in N America.
Supposedly some sugar beets may give 50-100% higher yields per acre but who knows yet,still won't be enough.

You ain't been to Florida have you? Check the photo at the top of this link.

http://www.floridacrystals.com/conte...le-energy.aspx

http://www.floridacrystals.com/mm/im...r-Facility.jpg

[hoytedow]

Take U.S. Highway 27 from South Bay to Interstate 75 and sugar cane is about all you will see.

[CatBuilder]

All I can say to the doubters (without giving away my free sugar source) is you wouldn't survive post civilization.

You don't understand your natural environment well enough to live without a grocery store.

And that is some good sugar, Hoyt! They make great raw sugar.

[WestVanHan]

Originally Posted by hoytedow

Take U.S. Highway 27 from South Bay to Interstate 75 and sugar cane is about all you will see.

I know it's there,but it's a negligible amount compared to the arable land in the US and esp. Canada.I have a friend on Shark Key so I've been to the area.
Theres like 650 square miles,of which 300 was sold a few years ago to reclaim the Everglades. So that leaves about 350...which is 20 miles by 18 miles....not a whole lot.
In the basis of fuel,that means very little-whereas beets will grow all over.

Just like people here have a palm tree in a sheltered area in their yard,and wrap it up in the winter with insulation and heat cables and exclaim-"See..palm trees grow in Canada!!!"

[CatBuilder]

Originally Posted by WestVanHan

whereas beets will grow all over.

Now this man will survive... he gets the environment.

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by WestVanHan

I know it's there,but it's a negligible amount compared to the arable land in the US and esp. Canada.I have a friend on Shark Key so I've been to the area.
Theres like 650 square miles,of which 300 was sold a few years ago to reclaim the Everglades. So that leaves about 350...which is 20 miles by 18 miles....not a whole lot.
In the basis of fuel,that means very little-whereas beets will grow all over.

Just like people here have a palm tree in a sheltered area in their yard,and wrap it up in the winter with insulation and heat cables and exclaim-"See..palm trees grow in Canada!!!"

Don't forget about Louisiana. http://www.amscl.org/SugarMills.htm

If need be we can always replant the Everglades. We did it once and we can do it again.

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Now this man will survive... he gets the environment.

We can use the sugar maple sap too.

[CatBuilder]

Originally Posted by hoytedow

We can use the sugar maple sap too.

Hoyt!! It's like the geographic area we have in common... don't give all the secrets away!

[hoytedow]

Aphids make sugar. No they don't. They eat the sugary sap. Oops. Ants farm the aphids for what the aphids turn the sugar into.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid

Technically, anything an aphid eats would be a good source of sugar for us.

"Sucrose concentration is directly reduced by assimilating sucrose toward metabolism and by synthesizing oligosaccharides from several sucrose molecules, thus reducing the solute concentration and consequently the osmotic pressure.[14][15] Oligasaccharides are then excreted through honeydew, explaining its high sugar concentrations, which can then be used by other animals such as ants."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligosaccharide

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Hoyt!! It's like the geographic area we have in common... don't give all the secrets away!

No problems with that. Nobody takes me seriously anyway.

[Mick@itc]

Originally Posted by hoytedow

Aphids make sugar. No they don't. They eat the sugary sap. Oops. Ants farm the aphids for what the aphids turn the sugar into.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid

Technically, anything an aphid eats would be a good source of sugar for us.

"Sucrose concentration is directly reduced by assimilating sucrose toward metabolism and by synthesizing oligosaccharides from several sucrose molecules, thus reducing the solute concentration and consequently the osmotic pressure.[14][15] Oligasaccharides are then excreted through honeydew, explaining its high sugar concentrations, which can then be used by other animals such as ants."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligosaccharide

I'm running my boat on ants...sugar ants...and who said hybrid would not work!