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mtbottle · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 46 Location: West Virgnia

Does anyone know the real low down of the FFV Volkswagons in Brazil. They claim they can run alcohol from 5% clear up to 100%. Why can't we have cars like that in America?

I am getting impatient about not being able to get E-85 around here, so I am considering putting in my own still.
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Duane Combs

ikendu · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Iowa

We definitely could have cars that run on 100% ethanol.

"100% ethanol" in Brazil is really "hydrated" ethanol (with up to 8% water).

Here in the U.S., we dry out our ethanol at huge expense of energy so that we can mix it with 15% gasoline. Then, we have to be very careful to keep the E85 from absorbing moisture. Why? The cold starting properties of ethanol are not so great (it is not nearly so volatile as gasoline; for example, the flash point of gasoline is -45F while the flash point of ethanol is +55F). E85 helps with this cold starting situation (although, in the winter, E85 can by law really be E70 ...and still be "called" E85). In addition to the improved cold starting, the ethanol (which is like 200 proof drinking alcohol) has been "denatured" with the 15% gasoline making it undrinkable.

I mean, we just couldn't sell drinkable ethanol at filling stations, yes?

Even though they seem to be fine with that all over Brazil.

The Brazilian Total Flex cars solve the cold starting problem by having a small (like 1 gallon) tank just for pure gasoline. If the temperature is too cold for reliable cold starting on 100% ethanol, then the car switches to pure gasoline, starts the car and then quickly shifts to pure ethanol. The large, primary fuel tank can hold any blend of gasoline and ethanol, the cars use an inexpensive oxygen sensor on the exhaust side to detect what type of fuel is flowing in the engine and then adjusts the engine appropriately. The fuel system and fuel tank has to be very corrosion resistant to handle the high water content of the "hydrated ethanol".

If we had such Total Flex 100% ethanol cars here, we could all make our own "wet ethanol" at home and create our own fuel. But, then... we wouldn't be beholden to large businesses to create our dry ethanol and mix it with gasoline for E85.

See my web site for links to articles about Brazil Total Flex cars.

http://www.itsgood4.us/ethanol.htm#What_is_the_difference_between_hydrated_ethanol_and_anhydrous_ethanol
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ikendu · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Iowa

I also found this nice link:

http://www.unica.com.br/i_pages/artigos_1.asp
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