Upper Bound Estimates of Kansas Alcohol Production Potential

摘要

In general, the upper limit of approximately 300,000,000 gallons of neat alcohol is more than enough to make gasohol for the whole state. However, the gasoline replacement that this represents is 17%. This indicates that while alcohol production via starch conversion will help extend gasoline supplies in Kansas, it cannot be expected to replace more than a fraction of historical gasoline consumption, even under the most favorable conditions. However, the fraction of fuel consumption that it can replace is about the amount that the agricultural sector consumes. It would be reasonable then to assume that the agricultural sector, which produces this fuel, could eventually consume most of it. The purpose of this paper has been to define the upper bounds of ethyl alcohol production in Kansas using grain availability and by-product consumption capacity as limiting factors. The general system economics, energy balance, and other topics are not specifically addressed. However, even putting those issues aside, starch conversion to ethyl alcohol has obvious limitations to the magnitude of production possible. Other fuel producing schemes will also be needed to further supplement the replacement of import-based gasoline. (ERA citation 05:027110)