Miles Finucci

Is Ethanol Dead? Not So Fast

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Is Ethanol Dead? Not So Fast

MIT researchers are developing direct fuel-injected engines that inject ethanol along with gasoline that allows much higher boost, higher efficiency and power from small engines (due to anti-knock properties). Only about 5% of the fuel consumed is ethanol, the balance gasoline, so worries about the overall net energy savings and displacement of food production by ethanol production are abated, while resulting in a big increase in the thermodynamic efficiency of gasoline engines. The government mandating pure ethanol use is counterproductive, but innovative approaches like this can truly help.