Article 4595 of misc.rural:
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From: ems@goofy.apple.COM (Eeyore's Evil Twin)
Newsgroups: sci.energy,misc.rural
Subject: Re: On Sight Low Volume Alcohol Production
Message-ID: <34999@goofy.apple.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 93 00:01:17 GMT
References: <1juvpnINN2hk@gemini.ksu.ksu.edu>
Followup-To: sci.energy
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
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In article <1juvpnINN2hk@gemini.ksu.ksu.edu> camelsho@gemini.ksu.ksu.edu (   James A Seymour) writes:
>I'm looking for some good sources on/for farm alcohol production
>primarily for agricultural uses.  Also wanted is a treatment
>of the conversion of engines to this fuel.

Go to the library and look up alcohol fuel in the card catalog.

There are two places to start that can get you a bibliography to work.

The first was published back about 1970?  It is titled something
like 'The Mother Earth News Guide To Homegrown Power'.  It is a 
kind of '60s back to the earth make gasoline from garbage and 
smoke the lawn clippings style, but does have a farm orientation
and does have a bibliography suitable for working the card catalog.

The second is titled something like 'The Solar Alcohol Fuel Revolution'
and is a 8x10 ish paper bound not very technical treatment.  It too
has a nice list of bibliographic references.  (Including one to a 
US Govt R&D program that identified a mold {Tricodermata Veridae?}
that would turn cellulosic material into sugar for fermentation...
can you think of any waste cellulosic material on a farm?(!) )

>Also, I'm sure that pointers to any relavant regulatioins
>would be necessary..

Contact the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms) who will 
tell you how to apply for a small volume fuel alcohol permit.

>Any and all info is welcome, from the economics side to 
>mechanics.

It isn't economicial.  It is trivial mechanically.

Get a very old car ('60ish when they had Real Carbs with Real ADJUSTABLE
fuel jets.)  Put alcohol in the fuel tank.  Adjust the jets by turning
the thumb screws.  For a constant speed (or nearly so) diesel, like
a tractor pulling a plow:  Bolt a tank on higher than the engine.
Run a small hose to a valve by the driver, then down to the air 
intake (for gravity feed).  Put alcohol into the tank.  Start the
diesel engine and set the throtle to about 1/4.  Turn on the valve
and adjust the alcohol drip into the air intake to desired engine
speed...  That's all you really need...  (And yes, I've done it.
On BOTH a Volvo Penta Marine Diesel and a Nissan Turbo Diesel in 
an International Harvester Scout.)

-- 
E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM

"Nothing can keep an argument going like two persons who aren't
sure what they're arguing about."   O.A.Battista


