By: Ethan Carabin & Sam Foster

Who First Used It?

• Ford Motor Company

• Henry Ford’s Model T

When & Where Was It First Used?

• 1908

• The United States was first to make working corn ethanol fuel cells in cars

Why Did It Develop As An Energy Source?

• Corn Ethanol is better for the environment than regular gasoline

• With fossil fuels quickly diminishing, another fuel source was needed

How Did They Develop Or Create It?

• Corn ethanol is developed in two ways: dry mills or wet mills

• Dry mills are less expensive then wet mills but cost more energy

Diagram

Step 1

• After being cleaned in the wet mills, the corn is then taken to be steeped

• This process softens the kernel of corn for milling

Step 2

• After steeping, the corn is then moved through a machine that splits up all the parts of the corn

• The gluten is separated from the starch by centrifugation

Step 3

• The pure starch is now ready to become ethanol

• Enzymes are added to the starch to hydrolyze the starch to fermentable sugars

Step 4

• Then yeast is added to start the fermentation process

• After two days, the fermentation broth is then distilled where about 95% of the distilled broth is created into absolute ethanol

Current Uses

• Corn Ethanol is used in all types of automobiles as a fuel, similar to regular gasoline

Where Is It Currently Being Used?

• Corn ethanol is mainly used in the U.S.

• The U.S. had large areas of crop land and is able to produce a good amount of corn for food and fuel

What Are The Future Plans?

• Making every new car that is produced E-85 (Corn Ethanol gasoline) compatible

• Finding new, more efficient ways to produce Corn Ethanol

Benefit #1

• Much better for the environment than regular gasoline

Benefit #2

• Produces less harmful emissions than other fuel sources

Benefit #3

• Corn is a renewable resources, unlike fossil fuels

Benefit #4

• Corn ethanol is less toxic in car exhaust than in regular gasoline

Benefit #5

• Corn ethanol is better for the U.S. because it doesn’t require as mush dependence on imported oil

Drawback #1

• Corn ethanol production is labor intensive and can be affected by bad weather

Drawback #2

• It is more difficult to produce Corn Ethanol than it is to produce regular gasoline

Drawback #3

• Corn ethanol reduces soil carbon that possibly contributes to warming

Drawback #4

• The process of making corn ethanol uses corn which is a major crop used for food

Drawback #5

• Corn ethanol, coupled with consumption can be as worse as gasoline consumption

References

• http://www.wikinvest.com/commodity/Ethanol#Ethanol_production

• http://www.dailytech.com/Study+Corn+Ethanol+Increases+Global+Warming+Grass+Ethanol+Fights+It/article13579.htm

• http://www.foodtechinfo.com/FoodPro/FacilityTypes/311221_Wet_Corn_Milling.htm

• http://umakeethanol.com/disadvantages-of-ethanol.php

Picture References

• http://www.waymotor.com/article/408-Ford-Model-T-Turns-100

• http://graduanuniverse.blogspot.com/

• http://www.lisisoft.com/tools/cars-screensaver.html

• http://www.naturalnews.com/023092.html

• http://foodbeast.com/content/2010/09/14/corn-sugar-the-new-name-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup/

Picture References (cont.)

• http://caveatbettor.blogspot.com/2008/05/cartoon-of-day.html

• http://www.patagoniavolunteer.org/volunteer_placements.html