Distilling ethanol can be a tricky and highly precise business, but Floyd S. Butterfield and Thomas J. Quinn claim to have created a backyard ethanol distillery that turns sugar and yeast to a fuel that is clean enough to fill a gas tank with. According to Quinn, the cost of fuel produced by the E-Fuel 100 MicroFueler is approximately $1 per gallon; cheap enough to strike fear into an oil baron’s heart.
The technology that makes it all possible is a membrane filtration system that allows ethanol to be distilled at a much lower temperature. Sugar is used as fuel for distillation as it creates little to no unpleasant odor; though it should be pointed out that Quinn and Butterfield are also working on a model that uses feed stock other than sugar.
While there are skeptics about, Quinn, who also patented the Wii’s motion sensor technology, is certain that his $10,000 contraption has the right stuff but there are a few hurdles that will need to be overcome. Firstly, there is the cost of sugar. Buying North American sugar would not lead to any significant savings; in order to save on sugar it will be necessary to import sugar from Mexico. E-fuel has plans to establish a distribution network within the United States. The other obstacle is regulatory, in the United States; it is not legal to operate a vehicle on 100% ethanol.
If it does everything ends up going Quinn’s way, however, then this is an idea with massive potential. $10,000 is a lot of outlay, but when you consider the price of gas now and the price that it could potentially reach, it would be a small price to pay. [New York Times]
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Tags: biofuel, cars, environmentally-friendly, ethanol
20 responses
MicroFueler Fuels Your Car With Homebrewed Ethanol
Apr 27, 2008 at 12:07 pm
[...] uberreview.com [...]
Apr 27, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Just in time. With record low prices in food stuff around the world, the time is ripe to use sugar and other goods that would normally be used to feed people to run your car :-]
It only is economical using cast-off sugar from Mexico. The carbon emission claims (1/8th of gas) are only true if you ignore the energy used to grow and harvest the feedstock and only count the energy consumed by the still.
May 1, 2008 at 1:46 pm
The carbon emission claims (1/8th of gas) are only true if you ignore the energy used to grow and harvest the feedstock and only count the energy consumed by the still.
Do the gasoline figures account for the energy to pump oil out of the ground and used by refineries to make gasoline from crude oil? (not to mention transportation footprint to the pump, since this is a “home” item) If not, then I don’t see how it’s “fair” to factor such costs against this device. There may be larger problems with a sudden sugar demand (look at corn and food prices right now), but it seems kind of petty to argue the carbon cost of production of the raw materials.
May 11, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Would like to keep up on your invention.
May 11, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I am very interested in your new procedure to make Ethanol. Please send details.
May 11, 2008 at 9:58 pm
470lbs of sugar to product 35 gallons at 1.50 per gallon would mean that sugar would have to cost $.11/lb I can’t find wholesale sugar for less that $.50 which means $7/gallon. So where can you buy sugar for $.10/lb
MICROFUELER PUTS GAS PUMP IN YOUR GARAGE | Car Club Blog
May 12, 2008 at 11:19 pm
[...] up offering any number of possible solutions to the gas price dilemma. One such invention is the E-Fuel 100 MicroFueler. Hat tip to CS Magor at Uber Review for the tip on this nifty [...]
May 13, 2008 at 11:14 am
I am interested in the products please send information to me thank you Wayne
May 13, 2008 at 7:31 pm
The only problem with high ethanol feuls is that if they are not completly burned in the cylinder, the ethanol oxides to acetic acid (vinegar), and this will corrode the exhaust system. There is always a lot of unburned feul going down the exhaust, which is why we have exhaust gas recirulation systems in all cars. Some oil companies have a 10% ethanol fuel in their gas stations. Just need a teflon lined exhaust system to correct this problem. Then the exhaust system will last the life of the car
May 14, 2008 at 9:36 am
In India we have plenty of molases availble a biproduct in sugar mills.I think this can be substituted for sugar to make it more viable.
May 14, 2008 at 8:33 pm
sent me the price and info
May 15, 2008 at 12:29 am
Will it be permitted in India? and What about the Availability trems in India?
May 21, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I WOULD LIKE MORE INFO BUT WERE CAN YOU GET SUGAR SO CHEAP AND IF NOT YOU SHOULD INVENT ONE WERE WE CAN USE CORN THAT WOULD BE CHEAPER
May 21, 2008 at 5:04 pm
i have just seen your add on the news if this truly works it will be a god send .please send me moore info
May 21, 2008 at 5:05 pm
send more info
May 24, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I have written two books in Australia on producing ethanol for home brewers and would be interested in more details especially on the distillation plant. I was interested in the distillation plant that Floyd Butterfield developed but I have been unable to contact him. My interest is in continuous distillation for the home or farm for automobile use. Any information would be appreciated.
May 26, 2008 at 1:22 am
I am interested in dealership. Can this product permited in India. Can we use pure ethenol in petrol engine. Send me details.
Jun 9, 2008 at 10:42 am
Gregg, corn based Ethenol is responsible for our soring food costs now.. It is stupid to burn food for fuel. We need another alternative. How about, for the time being, release a million gals from the SOR, and start drilling in Alaska. The People of Alaska are sueing the Fed. Gov’t because they WANT to drill..they know it won’t affect the enviro.. And we need more nuclear power, until we can make solar & wind more effective..
Aug 4, 2008 at 6:03 am
Processed sugar is a very uneconomical way to produce ethanol. and 10 grand is an outrageous price to pay for a device to create ethanol. A small home distillery can be built for less than $1,000 bucks. There is also a huge market for “distillers grain” which is the by product of ethanol distillation from corn or other starch and sugar bearing vegitation. I currently produce about 500 gallons of ethanol per month. I use solar heat and electricity produced from a micro hydro electric plant to power the distillation plant. After selling the distillers grain to local livestock farmers my net cost for ethanol is less than $1.00 per gallon.
Aug 8, 2008 at 10:26 am
Bently Parish’s idea of using corn is good,but in India home distillation is illegal lest ehonal may be consumed as alcohal.Better explore other alternatives like solar and compressed air.
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