Comments on: MicroFueler Fuels Your Car With Homebrewed Ethanol

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:27:53 +0000

Thank you for the kudos and luck at the very end.

I need to correct you on some major things, because I am no where near the vicinity of claiming things we can’t do.

Here are some point that may not be in order. It will be good to explain that the lead guy for DeAnza Fuel Group is already well involved with sugar-based ethanol and has for years been doing several of the things I will highlight.

1. Many, many companies PAY per ton to have their bacteria-laden “waste” hauled off. We already make money charging people less then what they paid before. We are PAID to haul away the organic waste that will produce the ethanol. The relationships are already there, and working.

2. The MicroFueler has a separate 250 gallon fermenting tank, and you can attach up to four of those to one unit. Optimal production is 40 gallons per day.

3. Optimal production is only reached if the customer is part of the full-service plan. The plan involves pre-processed feedstock up to a 50% level that is then distributed by dealers to the customers. Think 125 gallons of E100, and 125 gallons of mucky water in the end. On the self-serve plan, the customers find their own sources, which would be around the 15-20% level, like you said.

This whole thing has been in the works for a while, and the people behind it are very wise and very wealthy, and very wealthy because they are very wise. I am only a messenger, and no where near the brains. I appreciate your comments, and wanted to explain further.

By: Bwntley Parish

Bwntley Parish — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:52:37 +0000

I was referring to your micro fueler calculations. Judging from the size of your machine, at most you have a 20 to 25 gal fermenting tank. under perfect conditions that will net you 2 to 2.5 gal of ethanol every 4 days…..you wont drive very far on that.
I have seen pics and drawings of your machine and at best you are going to realistically get 3 gallons a week.
the waste products you refer to. Vinyards get about 6,000 per acre for grapes that don’t measure up for wine making…that cost is for grapes in the field…youhave to pay for harvesting as well. Bad batches of wine are distilled by the vinyards themselves and use the ethanol to bolster the alcohol level of their “table grade” wines.
Brewery by products have already been fermented and the ethanol product “beer” is sold by them. the leftover distillers grain has less than 1% fermentable sugars left in it. by the time you transport enough low grade feedstock to produce enough first run ethanol (20 to 25 % alcohol) and then transport it to your customers you and your partners will have over 2.00 per gallon in a 25% alcohol soloution.
If you figure a 10.000 gallon payout on your machine , thats another 1 dollar per gallon cost to the customer before adding their energy costs and time involved in producing the refined alcohol.
I believe you are a sincere person who believes in what you are doing….but….please check out your calculations for feedstock costs and avalibility. the cost of producing first run ethanol.
I’m not trying to rain on your parade, but I think you are opening yourself up for scam and fraud accusations because there is no way you can deliver at the costs you are promising.
I have been an industrial engineer for 35+ years. It is a part of my job to design process and the necessary equipment to produce a product. The whole process starts with a feasability study and an in depth cost analysis to determine true costs, length of time to payout for x amount of product produced and sold before beginning to get a ROI (return on investment)
If you feel that I am trying to be mean spirited and give you a hard time….I’m not. I am trying to offer you some sound advise before you get in too far over your head.
We need individuials ( like you) who are willing to step up and do something about the economical and ecological crisis we are facing. I wish you the very best of luck

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:23:46 +0000

re: comments of Bwntley Parish

Thank you for the insight, but I’m confused by your last line.

“Richard has a nice dream to turn a tidy profit for himself, but his calculations need some work.”

1. I don’t know what calculations you’re referring to, since I didn’t include any. All I spoke about was the projected price, which is from E-Fuel.

2. Concerning the profit for “myself”, I’m working with E-Fuel, just not directly for them. And the plan is not my idea. It’s being worked out by DeAnza Fuel Group and E-Fuel. Part of my reason for sharing was the high number of requests for more information on the unit, on buying the unit, and for possibly being a dealer. We’re here, we heard you, and we’re ready to go.

Again, you had some great info, and thanks for sharing.

By: Bwntley Parish

Bwntley Parish — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:40:04 +0000

re: comments of R.P.R.Reddy
I personally dont use corn. Although corn can be used where it is plentiful, sugar cane , sorgum, and sugar beets will all produce 10 to 15 x more ethanol per acre than corn. Fuel ethanol in thy USA is denatured with 5% gasoline, benzene. penthane or other similar substance that will make unfit for human consumption. I expect india has similar regulations. If I am correct India is one of the largest sugar producers in the world. The mollasses that are a by product of sugar production will ferment ethanol very nicely.
others have commented on the carbon footprint of ethanol. The fact is that ethanol is 100% carbon neutral. It can only produce the same carbon it took from the air as the feedstock was grown. If the harvesting equipment burns ethanol, as well as the transport vehicles ethanol is carbon neutral. The heat requirements to distill the ethanol can come from solar and hydro electric power.
In 50 years or so we will all be using hydrogen fuel which has no carbon at all, but until that technology is viable ethanol is our best choice.
Richard has a nice dream to turn a tidy profit for himself, but his calculations need some work.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:27:15 +0000

I recently was invited on board with DeAnza Fuel Group, who is working with E-Fuel in the Midwest. If you watch the video on http://www.microfueler.com, you will hear Tom Quinn Mention us at the end of his speech. We are responsible for finding and setting up the initial dealers and distributors of the MicroFueler launch, from Wisconsin and Michigan all the way down to Florida. It is a huge territory.

There are multiple sources of feedstock from which ethanol can be made. It is incorrect to think you have to go buy a bunch of sugar at the grocery store. We are exploring our options and pursuing relationships with businesses and other entities that can provide the organic waste we will use in our distribution networks, which I will explain. Think breweries, bottling companies, vineyards, soft drink companies, just to name a few beverages, let alone foods, waste, crops, and more.

Many people are baffled by the claim of $1/gallon E100, so let me explain how the MicroFuelers will be offered. When purchased from the dealer, your unit will have two options of service.

1. Self-serve. You find your own sources of feedstock/organic waste. You dispose of your waste materials. Your unit is maintained by the dealer through the GPS network. Estimate: 10-25 cents/gallon.

2. Full-service. We will utilize a network of recycling centers and dealers. The centers will secure vast amounts of feedstock and will accomplish half of the fermentation and distillery process in-house (easier for the customer, and more than doubles the daily production in gallons of the unit). The dealers will deliver the organic material to the individual units, and remove the waste materials, when notified of the need by the unit itself through the GPS network. The customer will pay a certain price per gallon to the dealer for every gallon pumped from the unit. As explained on the website, E-Fuel’s participation in the carbon credit program, among other incentives and things we are working on, will allow them to discount the price per gallon, resulting in an estimated $1/gallon.

And when discussing the price of the unit, you cannot overlook the 50% tax credit.

Ex: $10,000 MicroFueler becomes $5,000 MicroFueler.

Again, right now we are looking for dealers/distributors to come on board in the Midwest. Once they are in place, those interested in the unit will be able to get one, or however many you wish.

I am excited to get my own, as well as the add-on that will supply electricity for my home!