Greenner Fuel

Apr 11, 2005
1,478
0
0
Visit site
I was reading Practical Caravan other the weekend and I came a cross a bit on greener fuel(page 12)

I do not now a lot about cars I do now some bit but you cud put all I now back of a fist class stamp.

It go on to say that we cud conversion that involves replacing rudder seals aluminium parts with materials that won't be eroded by the bioethanol.

Is it has easy has that

It all so ask if you would make the switch I now I would

(practical.caravan@haynet.com)

Would you have car or 4x4 don.

MARK
 
Mar 14, 2005
3,004
0
0
Visit site
Hi Mark

I am keen on greener fuels and as you probably know, am very pro LPG.

One of the problems I have is the fact that far more CO2 is produced each year from just cement production alone that apparently all the cars in the world produce.

I am not including all the CO2 produced by industry - just that from car emissions. So with 1.5 billion metric tons of CO2 being produced being produced from cement production alone and this figure getting bigger each year with China in particular increasing cement production dramatically, I worry about anything we do having any significant effect at all!

That is not to say we should not do it. I just question the sense and logic of the green party wasting 5 min of prime time party political broadcast time at the last election showing green party members shouting at and berating people filling up their cars at a petrol station. They could write a book on "How to antagonise people and loose votes".

My problem is cost. How much would it cost to do the conversion and what would be the real gain? Are these guys so sure they are attacking the real culprit?

I have a difficult decision to make re my new vehicle - it is not LPG converted - but it will be. Now we have moved offices I do not use a vehicle as much - probably just 5000 miles last year. At this rate, it would take me over 6 years to recoup the cost of getting the LPG conversion whereas on my previous vehicle it had paid for itself in just over 6 months.

Despite what a minority says, the car is not the main reason for climate change - it is not helping matters! but it is not the main reason.

I am no expert but from what I have read, the global warming "problem" seems to be more closely linked with methane production via agriculture and industrialisation in general as it started way before the car was invented.

No doubt some will want to hang draw and quarter me for saying something that does not fit within the PC norm, but what the heck!
 
Jul 15, 2005
2,175
1
0
Visit site
Hi Mark,

I didn't see the Practical Caravan article, but from my fuel standards background:

Pure (98% pure) ethanol is quite aggressive to the rubber pipes and seals used in older cars, and aluminium that hasn't been surface treated can corrode in any water that is adsorbed by the ethanol.

In our climate I wouldn't recommend using straight bio-ethanol in the current generation of cars - mainly because the car fuel tanks aren't sealed to water vapour. It may be OK if you use the car all the time - but if the car sits around for days at a time with a part filled tank - then no.

There is an EN initiative to replace the current oxygenated compounds (such as TAME and MTBE) in petrol with 5% bio-ethanol and to increase this percentage over time.

The current oxygenated compounds are derived from petroleum hydrocarbons, so replacing those compounds with bio-ethanol would be good, and it's a safe way to reap the benefit - all petrol cars should be able to use this blended fuel without modification.

Robert
 
Mar 14, 2005
3,004
0
0
Visit site
Steam Engines! - that is what I want - just chuck on a log or two (green fuel!) and build up a head of steam and off we go!
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts