EFFECTS OF FUEL ETHANOL USE ON FUEL-CYCLE ENERGY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

The authors estimated the effects on per-vehicle-mile fuel-cycle petroleum use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and energy use of using ethanol blended with gasoline in a mid-size passenger car, compared with the effects of using gasoline in the same car. The analysis includes petroleum use, energy use, and emissions associated with chemicals manufacturing, farming of corn and biomass, ethanol production, and ethanol combustion for ethanol; and petroleum use, energy use, and emissions associated with petroleum recovery, petroleum refining, and gasoline combustion for gasoline. For corn-based ethanol, the key factors in determining energy and emissions impacts include energy and chemical usage intensity of biomass farming, ethanol yield per dry ton of biomass, and electricity credits in cellulosic ethanol plants. The results of a fuel-cycle analysis for fuel ethanol are included.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00763756
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: May 11 1999 12:00AM