Customer Reviews

The Alcohol Fuel Handbook

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an excellent resource for those interested in self-sufficiency or those who just want to beat the rising costs of oil and gas. The book breaks down the facts and knowledge needed to make alcohol fuel into simple and easy to understand language. The basics of alcohol fuel production are laid out and the details of building your own still are included. Even if you are not interested in producing your own alcohol fuel, but are interested in learning more about ethanol and alcohol based fuels, this book provides you with the facts needed to understand this growing market.

This is an updated publication of a c. 1980 text. It is very informative on the properties of fuel alcohol and the different raw material possibilities. It also explains in some detail how to make ethanol on the farm-scale from improvised DIY equipment.
It would benefit from a more up-to-date context and a slightly more commercial orientation, in my opinion.

I got this book to look into the practicality of making my own fuel. As a replacement for gasoline and driving my vehicle, it is not practical. As a resource for powering chainsaws, sawmill and other gas operated tools, it has some possibility. If you think growing your own fuel is a potential, read this book. I think you'll come to some of the same conclusions I did, but it is worth the expense to understand why.

In 1975 the Brazilian government had sucessfully introduced Alcool using as Fuel in wide range. We already produced about 6 million alcohol fuelled Vehicles in this period. Our gasoline is not pure, it is 1,1% to the 25% alcohol mixed. We avoided 110 million tons of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. We saved about 11,5 billion American dollars in petroleum imports.

North Americans and Europeans Citizens still have doubt regarding this theme. Brazilians Citizens have not!

I would not recommend this book. Anyone looking into alternative fuel should consider biodiesel, or electric power. Ethanol is a waste. Anyway, this book provides some useless diagrams of how to not make a still at home.