Ethanol & Distillation

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Ethanol fuel is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It can be used as a transport fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline. World ethanol production for transport fuel tripled between 2000 and 2007 from 17 billion to more than 52 billion litres. From 2007 to 2008, the share of ethanol in global gasoline type fuel use increased from 3.7% to 5.4%. Most cars on the road today in the U.S. run on blends of 10% ethanol, and the use of 10% ethanol gasoline is mandated in some U.S. states and cities. There are plans to increase this to 15% and even 20% in the near future.

Bioethanol, unlike petroleum, is a form of renewable energy that can be produced from agricultural feedstocks. It can be made from very common crops such as sugar cane, potato, manioc and maize. Recent developments with cellulosic ethanol production and commercialization will shift the required source from crops to any cellulose base substance. Cellulosic ethanol offers promise as cellulose fibers, a major and universal component in plant cells walls, can be used to produce ethanol. According to the International Energy Agency, cellulosic ethanol could allow ethanol fuels to play a much bigger role in the future than previously thought.

The three main products of Ethanol distilation is ethanol, distillers grain and CO2. Distillers Grains are a cereal byproduct of the distillation process. There are two main sources of these grains. The traditional sources were from brewers. More recently, ethanol plants are a growing source. It is created in distilleries by drying mash, and is subsequently sold for a variety of purposes, usually as fodder for livestock (especially ruminants).

Types of Grains

• Distillers Dried Solubles (DDS)
• Distillers Dried Grains (DDG)
• Condensed Distillers Solubles (CDS)
• Distillers Wet Grains (DWG)
• Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)

To learn more about Distillers Grain click here.

Fuel production One 56 pound bushel of corn produces 18 pounds (8.2 kg) or 2.72 gallons of ethanol and approximately 17 pounds (7.7 kg) of distillers grains in various forms:

   Ethanol Fuel Production

COMMERCIAL AVERAGE YIELD OF 200 PROOF ALCOHOL

Material	Unit	Lbs./Unit	% Fermentable	Gal./Unit	Gallons / Acre
Wheat	Bushel	60	58.6	2.56	79
Corn or Milo	Bushel	56	57.8	2.34	214
Rye	Bushel	56	54.0	2.19	54
Buckwheat	Bushel	48	57.2	1.99	34
Barley	Bushel	48	54.3	1.89	83
Oats	Bushel	32	43.6	1.01	57
Sugar beets	Ton	2000	16.0	22.00	412
Sugar cane	Ton	2000	11.0	15.18	555
Sweet potatoes	Bushel	55	23.3	.93	190
Potatoes	Bushel	60	15.6	.68	299
Jerusalem Artichokes	Bushel	60	15.2	.59	1200
Pure sugar	Bag	100	100.0	6.92	555
Corn sugar	Bag	100	100.0	6.00	555