Mercedes Mullins
With rising gas prices and concerns over environmental impact, many people are exploring the possibility of making car fuel at home. While this may not be the most practical endeavour due to time, cost, and skill constraints, it is scientifically possible to create fuel for gasoline-powered engines from materials like wood pellets, organic trash, or even ethanol. Home ethanol makers, such as the EFuel100 MicroFueler, offer a way to produce ethanol fuel by fermenting sugar, yeast, and water. However, the cost of raw materials and equipment can be significant, and it is important to carefully consider the legal and safety implications of producing and using homemade fuel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cost | The cost of making car fuel at home can be expensive, with the MicroFueler costing $9,995, although federal tax credits can reduce the price to $6,998. |
| Time | The FuelMeister II takes about 7 hours to produce biodiesel, with only 1 hour of hands-on work. |
| Raw Materials | Sugar, yeast, water, and electricity are required to produce ethanol. |
| Equipment | A MicroFueler or a still made from an old hot water tank and some conduit piping is needed to produce ethanol. |
| Legality | Home production of ethanol on a small scale (under 5,000 US gallons) is legal in the US, but running 100% ethanol in your car is against the law. |
| Environmental Impact | Sugar-based ethanol can produce up to 85% fewer carbon emissions than using gasoline. |
| Safety | Making ethanol at home can be dangerous due to the use of heat and pressure, and the explosive dangers of some methods. |
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What You'll Learn
Using a MicroFueler to make ethanol
The E-Fuel Corporation unveiled its EFuel 100 MicroFueler, a device that uses sugar, yeast, and water to make 100% ethanol. The process is simple: you open the machine, dump in the sugar, close the door, and push a button. A few days later, you've got ethanol. The MicroFueler weighs about 200 pounds and hooks up to a water and 110 or 220-volt power supply and wastewater drain.
The MicroFueler can produce up to 35 gallons of ethanol in about a week, and it has its own pump and hose, making it easy to fill up your car. The machine uses a membrane distiller to separate water from alcohol at lower temperatures than conventional methods, and it leaves behind clean wastewater.
To use the MicroFueler, you'll need to purchase the machine itself, as well as the necessary feedstock and yeast. The MicroFueler costs \$9,995, although federal tax credits can reduce the price to \$6,998. Yeast can be purchased for \$16, which is enough to make about 560 gallons of ethanol. Sugar and water are also required, and you'll need about 4 gallons of water and 10-14 pounds of sugar to make 1 gallon of ethanol.
It's important to note that while you can obtain a permit to make ethanol legally, running 100% ethanol in your car is against the law in the US. However, you can mix it with gasoline to create E-85.
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Fischer-Tropsch process to create synthetic gasoline
The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process is a method of producing synthetic fuels, including gasoline, from natural gas, biomass, or coal. The process was first developed by Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch in 1926 and has since undergone numerous refinements and adjustments.
The primary process for FT is the Synthol Process, where synthesis gas is fed into a reactor at high pressure and temperature. The Synthol reactor uses an iron-based catalyst, and the product that leaves the reactor is processed to recover the catalyst and remove oils and tail gases. The gas part is then recycled, while the rest of the material is distilled into gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fractions.
The FT process has been implemented in various commercial and demonstration-scale plants worldwide. For example, Sasol operates the world's largest FT plant in South Africa, which uses coal to produce synthetic fuels. Another company, PetroSA, operates a refinery in South Africa with a semi-commercial plant that completed a demonstration in 2011.
The FT process has also been explored by companies such as Rentech, Inc. and ClearFuels, who built a demonstration-scale plant in Commerce City, Colorado. This plant produced fuels from natural gas, with plans for commercial-scale facilities in several locations. However, Rentech closed down its pilot plant and abandoned its FT process in 2013.
While the FT process can produce gasoline, the initial product tends to have a low octane number due to the presence of straight-chain alkanes. To improve the quality of the gasoline, isomerization and catalytic reforming are required to increase the octane number.
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Biodiesel from vegetable oil
Biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning fuel that can be made from vegetable oil. It can be used in any diesel engine in its pure form or blended with petroleum-based diesel. No engine modifications are required.
To make biodiesel from vegetable oil, you will need the following:
- 1 litre of new vegetable oil (e.g. canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil)
- 3.5 grams of sodium hydroxide (also known as lye)
- 200ml of methanol (methyl alcohol)
- A blender with a low-speed option
- A glass container marked for 200ml
- A digital scale to accurately measure 3.5 grams
First, prepare the biodiesel in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The chemical reaction will not proceed to completion if the temperature is too low. Label all containers as "Toxic—Only Use for Making Biodiesel" to avoid any accidents.
Pour 200ml of methanol into the glass blender pitcher. Turn the blender on its lowest setting and slowly add 3.5 grams of sodium hydroxide. This reaction produces sodium methoxide, which must be used immediately. Mix until the sodium hydroxide has completely dissolved (about 2 minutes), then add 1 litre of vegetable oil to this mixture.
After mixing, the biodiesel will separate from the glycerin, which can also be used as fuel.
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Distilling ethanol at home
The first step is to obtain a permit from the relevant authorities, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, to ensure that you are legally allowed to produce ethanol. It is important to note that running 100% ethanol in your car is illegal, so you will need to mix it with gasoline to create E-85.
The main piece of equipment required for distilling ethanol at home is a MicroFueler, such as the EFuel100 or FuelMeister II. These machines can cost several thousand dollars but can pay for themselves over time. The MicroFueler has its own pump and hose, allowing you to fill up your car with ethanol just like at a gas station.
To produce ethanol, you will need to ferment a mixture of table sugar, yeast, and water. The MicroFueler has a large tank that can hold up to 250 gallons of this mixture. The fermentation process takes several days and results in ethanol with a purity of 99.9%. It takes 10 to 14 pounds of sugar to produce 1 gallon of ethanol, so the cost of feedstock can add up quickly. Additionally, you will need 4 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethanol, so the water cost must also be considered.
The distillation process itself is a complex procedure that requires careful monitoring. The mixture is heated, and the ethanol is separated from the water and other impurities. This can be done through a process of fractional distillation, where the ethanol is separated based on its boiling point of 78.37 °C. It is important to ensure that all the methanol is removed from the ethanol, as it can be harmful to your health.
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Using wood gasification
Wood gasification is a process that uses wood chips, sawdust, charcoal, coal, rubber, or similar materials as fuel and burns them incompletely in a firebox, producing wood gas, solid ash, and soot. Wood gas can be used to fuel vehicles, and this method was employed during World War II due to the rationing of fossil fuels.
To build a wood gasifier, you will need to follow these steps:
- Ensure you have a clean and dry fuel source, such as wood chips or sawdust, and place it in the hopper.
- Remove the ignition port cap and insert something flammable that can act as a wick.
- Turn on the blower and ignite the wick. Leave the cap off until you see the fuel in the grate burning, then replace the cap.
- You should now see smoke coming from the end of the tube. If your gasifier is permanently connected to an engine, you will need a way to change the direction of the gas between a "flare" that can be vented and the direct path to the engine.
- Install a pre-carburetor and a valve set-up mounted to the original engine carburetor. This will allow you to adjust the mix of fuel and air to optimize engine performance and act as a vent during the engine's cycles.
It is important to note that the gas produced by a wood gasifier may require extensive cleaning to remove tars, soot, and ash particles. The gasification process and medium (air, oxygen, or steam) will impact the composition of the gas, with steam-gasification yielding high hydrogen contents and updraft fixed bed gasifiers resulting in high tar loads.
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Frequently asked questions
You can make ethanol at home by fermenting a mix of table sugar, yeast, and water. You can also use leftover alcohol for fermentation. You can purchase an ethanol-making machine or build a still yourself.
You can use a MicroFueler, which costs around \$10,000. The machine is about the size of a stacked washer and dryer and can be hooked up to a power supply and water drain.
The MicroFueler has a membrane distiller that separates water from alcohol at lower temperatures than conventional methods. It can produce 99.9% ethanol, which can be stored in the unit or pumped into a gas tank.
You can use the Fischer-Tropsch process, which involves adding high temperature, high pressure, and a heavy metal catalyst to biomass gasification to create synthetic gasoline. You can also make biodiesel from vegetable oil feedstocks.
