E20 is just fine for fuel pumps, says Minnesota Ag Department
It's clear that the Obama Administration is a strong supporter of increasing the amount of ethanol used in American vehicles. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has come out in favor of upping the standard blend in everyday "gasoline" from E10 to E15 or even E20 over the next few years (Of course, Energy Secretary Steven "corn is not the right crop for biofuels" Chu has other ideas). Whatever the case in the political realm, there's still an engineering question about what gasonline made up of 20 percent ethanol does to an engine over the long term. The Minnesota Center for Automotive Research says: nothing harmful.The Center, which operates out of Minnesota State University, Mankato, just released a study that found an E20 blend "causes no significant change in performance of automotive fuel systems." This study, the fourth E20 project the Center has conducted, was all about the fuel pumps and sending units. Eight models of fuel pumps were run for 4,000 models on three different fuels (pure gasoline, E10 and E20). Here's the takeaway point:
The study found that the pumps showed significantly less wear when tested with E20 than with gasoline. The study concluded that overall, E20 did not have any greater negative effects than gasoline or E10 on the fuel pumps tested. It also showed there were no substantial differences in the performance of the sending units tested in the three different fuels.The study was supported by the Renewable Fuels Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Read the whole thing in PDF.
[Source: MDA via Domestic Fuel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DaveD 7:11PM (4/04/2009)
A study funded by an association dedicated to corn ethanol and the corn growers of a corn state and the Agriculture department of a corn state....ROFL. Ok, guys, i don't even care if we may find out that this is true one day. Get someone independent for ONCE. Geez, come on guys, quit wasting time and money for studies that nobody will take seriously.
You're just not an unbiased source, get over it.
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BajaSAE_2010 7:54PM (4/04/2009)
Did you read the study before you commented? It is pretty thorough. As a automotive engineering student at Mankato, and not a fan of corn ethanol, I understand how you think there is bias. But I have reviewed the information that was gathered during this study and can't find anything to support any fabricated bias in this report.
BoneHeadOtto 10:30AM (4/05/2009)
@baja
it doesnt matter how good study is, it is biased and therefore worthless. The information contained in it may be true and accurate but i guarantee there is other information omitted that does not further the cause of ethanol, or that information is spun. It would be like Toyota writing comsumer reports. No matter how well they research and write, it would be biased
Brian P 8:36PM (4/04/2009)
I am more concerned that it will have the same effect as too-lean jetting / fuel injection. In an engine that is already calibrated to run lean on cold-start, this could cause a no-start. At full load, most engines deliberately run slightly rich to protect the pistons and exhaust valves, and too much alcohol could result in holes in pistons or burned valves.
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Rain 12:45PM (4/05/2009)
Snip>"The study was supported by the Renewable Fuels Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture."
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Rain 12:48PM (4/05/2009)
Blast,the blog cut off My comments!
I'm lucky enough to live in a state where I have the option of non ethanol.
My truck is secondary transportation to My bicycle now.
The truck has over 400,000 miles on the clock,running
on the Korn,it gets around 8 miles to the gallon and runs ten degrees hotter.
On hills and mild acceleration the valve train sounds like Tito Puente and a backing band of castinets under the hood.
Since I've switched back to straight gasoline the oil stays cleaner,all of these problems would be minimal on a newer vehicle,I'm sure.
My truck is still in great shape and I'm not going to give it away only to take on payments for a trophy truck with a bunch of accessories that I don't want or need.
Maybe an independent laboratory or three which have no vested interest would be a better study into the effects of using Ethanol and in a wide range of vehicles over a period of time.
If Ethanol has no bad effects then I am all for using it,the bicycle is here to stay though.
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Naz 3:52PM (4/05/2009)
Proceed with caution if you have an direction injection engine with a high pressure fuel pump. Ethanol levels greater than 10% is emerging as a common root cause for fuel pump failure in the BMW 335.
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Throwback 8:09AM (4/06/2009)
Assuming the study is correct AND complete, so what? What do the auto manufacturers say about E20? If they are not on board it does not matter what the study says. Are the corn growers going to cover your car if E20 voids your warranty?
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