The print., May 30, 1979, Image 1

orter proposes
Ethanol alcohol future fuel
presented the possibility of gas-
o-hol, a mixture of 90 percent
are ethanol alcohol, not gasoline and 10 percent
o-hol is the fuel for the im- methanol alcohol as a sub­
Jiate future according to stitute for regular gasoline on
,|y elected Associated campus, but through extensive
dent Government President research ethanol alcohol ap­
pears to be the best long-range
i Porter.
luring his campaign Porter solution as an alternative to
Mike Koller
le Print
petroleum.
“Phil Peters, owner of
Western Comfry in Canby, will
soon be building a distillery on
his land and he has agreed to
donate enough ethanol to run
two experimental cars at the
College,” Porter said.
Peters visited the College
KE ME A STAR —College students in the Audio Visual classes construct a
cumentary film. See pages 6 and 7 for story and more photos.
What’s inside
Smith resigns
Roger Smith, College women’s track coach, is
esigning to take a job at the University of Wyoming,
with coached his team to a first and fourth in nationals
luring the past two years.
lee page 10.
Feature Magazine
For the first time, Feature Magazine appears as a pull-
ut section in The Print. The section is complete with art,
holography, poetry and many other artistic specialties,
lee special pull out section.
Film*making
Second year audio-visual classes at the College are get-
hig the basic feel of what real production is. They are
wducing, directing and starring In a documentary about
hegon ghost towns. See page 6 and 7.
May 25 to discuss plans for the
project.
“Peters is very excited about
the idea and said he foresees
no problems with the project,”
said presidential assistant Jim
Nuby.
“Since the ethanol will be
produced off-campus, a lot of
hassles will be eliminated,”
Porter said. “The project will
not cost the College one cent.”
One car, a 1965 Chevrolet
Nova, has already been made
available
as
a
testing
automobile.
According to Mark Epper­
son, a project researcher, some
modifications are needed when
converting an automobile over
to ethanol alcohol.
“The major modification is in
boring the engine jets by 50
percent to increase the amount
of ethanol that flows through
the engine,” Epperson ex­
plained.
Epperson also said that tests
in Washington, D.C. have
shown the ethanol fueled cars
have some problems starting in
cold weather, but the problem
can be easily solved.
“Sometimes squirting
gasoline on the carborator is
needed to start the engines on
ethanol fueled cars. A simple
attachment like those that
dispense solution on win­
dshields can be applied in the
exact same way to squirt
gasoline on carborators,”
Epperson explained.
Porter said that much of the
initial work on the project will
be in surveying their test car.
“We’ll be doing a lot of
evaluating to see the feasibility
of our experiments,” Porter
said. “We’ll be looking for flaws
all the time so we can find bet­
ter ways to perfect our ethanol
fueled car.”
Response to the project has
been very enthusiastic, accor­
ding to Porter.
“In a recent meeting with
students from other community
colleges, the response to our
project has been great. Many
want us to keep them posted
on our progress,” Porter said.
Positive reaction to the
project has not just been limited
to the community college level.
“The Mother Earth News, a
magazine published in Hender­
sonville, North Carolina, with a
circulation of around one and a
half million has expressed an
interest in the project on a
national level,” Epperson said.
“We hope to gain national
publicity which will no doubt
benefit the College,” Epperson
added.
Although the possible use of
ethanol alcohol as an alter­
native to gasoline has taken on
growing importance with the
new gasoline shortage the idea
of an alcohol powered country
has existed since the 1920’s.
“In the 20’s it was cheaper to
use petroleum than alcohol so
nobody took the idea
seriously,” Epperson said. “It’s
unbelievable, but the last book
published on alcohol as a sour­
ce of energy was in 1921 by
R.C. Farmer titled “Industrial
and Power Alcohol.”
“The technology dates back
to the 20’s, but basically it’s
brand new industry,” Epperson
said.
But now, with the continuing
oil shortage, Porter and Epper­
son both feel it is a necessary
industry for the United States
to develop further.
“Reports show that it would
only take five to 10 percent of
this country’s land set aside for
growing crops like corn and
sugar beets that produce
ethanol alcohol to produce
enough to keep the entire
country supplied,” Epperson
said.
According to Epperson the
process of converting the coun­
try over to ethanol alcohol as a
power source may take time.
“It will be difficult to convert
a society that has become
dependent on petroleum over
to ethanol alcohol. Gas-o-hol
may be used as a stepping
stone toward the eventualitse
of ethanol since states like
Nebraska and Wyoming are
already using gas-o-hol,” he
said.
But Epperson stressed that
he does not see gas-o-hol as a
lasting alternative.
“Petroleum should be used
to power the most important
things like chemical and fer­
tilizer plants,” he said. “It will
be a waste if we still use
petroleum
to
power
automobiles.”
Porter and Epperson hope to
see the project in full swing by
fall term.
“Peters should be producing
ethanol alcohol by this fall so
we will be ready to start
testing,” Porter said. “We just
hope we can make the public
aware of the great potential
ethanol alcohol has and what
the College is doing to support
this project.”