Has anyone ever converted their 4 stroke outboard motor to burn ethanol or metanol? If so what were the ups and downs, and where can info about this be found? thanks Dennis
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GordAdjust the carb and void your warrantee
Most four cycle engines can be made to run on alcohol by making carb adjustments. However the fuel system is rarely made do deal with straight alcohol and some plastic and rubber parts made degrade or simply dissolve and leak. The plastic particles will plug the carb jets and cause other assorted problems. Also the enigine will not have as much power when running on alcohol. I've never seen this done on a two stroke but I don't see why it cannot be done.
Most four cycle engines can be made to run on alcohol by making carb adjustments. However the fuel system is rarely made do deal with straight alcohol and some plastic and rubber parts made degrade or simply dissolve and leak. The plastic particles will plug the carb jets and cause other assorted problems. Also the enigine will not have as much power when running on alcohol. I've never seen this done on a two stroke but I don't see why it cannot be done.
It's for the ecology
If you think the price of gas was high this weekend, just wait a couple of years. It isn't so much that we are running out of oil, it is that we are running out of oil that cheap to obtain. And then there is the fact that alchohol is lot friendlier to the environment than gasoline. And some people would give up "power" for the the thought that they are saving the world for future generations. Add that to the fact that if you have access to a stream of agricultural waste - say chalf form wheat - you can make alchohol for very little money.
If you think the price of gas was high this weekend, just wait a couple of years. It isn't so much that we are running out of oil, it is that we are running out of oil that cheap to obtain. And then there is the fact that alchohol is lot friendlier to the environment than gasoline. And some people would give up "power" for the the thought that they are saving the world for future generations. Add that to the fact that if you have access to a stream of agricultural waste - say chalf form wheat - you can make alchohol for very little money.
Yes, burn the alcohol
Any waste streams containing alcohol that can be economically recovered should, from a purely economic stand point. I have a customer who burns waste methanol (from a chemical process) in his boilers. It's a big saver on utility cost. On the other hand, growing a crop just to make alcohol is a big loser (except for those being subsidized by our tax dollars). It takes almost as much energy to produce a gallon of alcohol from corn as you get out of it. In doing so you create almost twice the amount of CO2 as you would have if you had burned oil in the first place. Remember, oil and other fossil fuels were created from plant matter that collected and concentrated the energy of the sun. It is a renewable resource. It just takes millions of years to "renew". The ultimate energy solution is fusion power, which man (even sailors) has been using indirectly! Happy fusion powered sails *_/), MArk
Any waste streams containing alcohol that can be economically recovered should, from a purely economic stand point. I have a customer who burns waste methanol (from a chemical process) in his boilers. It's a big saver on utility cost. On the other hand, growing a crop just to make alcohol is a big loser (except for those being subsidized by our tax dollars). It takes almost as much energy to produce a gallon of alcohol from corn as you get out of it. In doing so you create almost twice the amount of CO2 as you would have if you had burned oil in the first place. Remember, oil and other fossil fuels were created from plant matter that collected and concentrated the energy of the sun. It is a renewable resource. It just takes millions of years to "renew". The ultimate energy solution is fusion power, which man (even sailors) has been using indirectly! Happy fusion powered sails *_/), MArk
Save the alcohol for the margaritas!
MArk is right. From an ecology point of view, at least with our current technology, you're not helping anything by burning alcohol in an internal combustion engine unless that alcohol is available as part of a waste stream from some other process. If you take the time to crunch the numbers, it's a net-loss proposition. So.. save the alcohol for the margaritas! (I'll take mine in a frosted glass, light salt and a lime wedge, thank you! Got any pretzels to go with that?)
MArk is right. From an ecology point of view, at least with our current technology, you're not helping anything by burning alcohol in an internal combustion engine unless that alcohol is available as part of a waste stream from some other process. If you take the time to crunch the numbers, it's a net-loss proposition. So.. save the alcohol for the margaritas! (I'll take mine in a frosted glass, light salt and a lime wedge, thank you! Got any pretzels to go with that?)
Biodiesel
"Professional Boatbuilder" Magazine had an intersting article, by Chuck Husick, on Biodiesel (Jne/July, 2002, Issue 77). There are many disadvantages, as well as some advantages, to it's use. Among the current disadvantages noted, was the total energy use (only 80.55% life-cycle efficiency for Biodiesel vs 83.28 % for petroleum diesel). Go to www.boatpro.com for reprints, or send me your Fax number. Regards, Gord
"Professional Boatbuilder" Magazine had an intersting article, by Chuck Husick, on Biodiesel (Jne/July, 2002, Issue 77). There are many disadvantages, as well as some advantages, to it's use. Among the current disadvantages noted, was the total energy use (only 80.55% life-cycle efficiency for Biodiesel vs 83.28 % for petroleum diesel). Go to www.boatpro.com for reprints, or send me your Fax number. Regards, Gord
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