"Brent" > wrote in message
...
> On 2012-08-11, NotMe > wrote:
>>
>> "Brent" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On 2012-08-10, RichA > wrote:
>>>> It is of no value. It has raised corn prices (and all the myriad
>>>> foods associated with it) by 100% over 1.5 years. It scours engine
>>>> components of their protective oil layer. It dries out seals. It
>>>> should be abolished.
>>>> P.S. Enviroqueers; Lead by example, STOP DRIVING.
>>>
>>> The environment is the excuse. It has nothing to do with
>>> environmentalists. It has to do with big business and the corn lobby.
>>>
>>> Corn ethanol is stupid. Sugar cane ethanol works (energy &
>>> economically). But here's the problem, can't make sugar cane ethanol in
>>> the contintal USA because it doesn't grow here. It works nicely for
>>> Brazil. Could work for Hawaii, but Hawaii being part of the USA is stuck
>>> with US politics so they import corn ethanol instead of making their own
>>> locally with sugar cane.
>>
>> Can't? Louisiana, MS, Texas come to mind. Also sugar beets. My
>> grandfather ran some of his trucks on ethanol during WWII.
>
> Sugar beets will not be as good as sugar cane. What makes sugar cane
> ethanol work so well is that another part of the plant fuels the process
> to make the ethanol. This way the energy is 100% gain, as opposed to an
> energy loss with corn ethanol.

No experience with sugar beets other than folk saying they used them to
'brew' ethanol during WWII to run their vehicles. I know sugar cane works.

Right now I'm playing with duel fuel gas/CNG and diesel/CNG conversions.