Bioethanol
What is it?
Ethanol is a form of alcohol. It is a clear colourless liquid, biodegradable, low in toxicity and causes minimal environmental pollution if spilt. Bioethanol burns to produce carbon dioxide and water. Bioethanol is a high octane fuel and suited particularly well to the two-stroke cycle, enhancing power and reducing emissions and noxious exhaust toxins. The increased power is a result of the cooling properties of Bioethanol in an engine's combustion chamber allowing for greater pressure in the cylinder.Bioethanol is a renewable fuel manufactured through the fermentation of sugars. This is done by accessing sugars directly (sugar cane and beet) or by breaking down starch in grains (such as wheat, rye, barley or maize) to sugar. Currently EU Bioethanol is largely produced from grains, wheat being the dominant feedstock. The preferred feedstock in Brazil is sugar cane and in the USA it is corn (maize). As new crops are grown they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
Over the past couple of years Bioethanol has received mixed reviews surrounding its suitability as a viable commercial scale liquid fuel. This has been due to the argument of growing crops for converting to fuel not food, and the potential to increase global food prices. This issue is being addressed with the introduction of “next generation” Bioethanol. The fuel can now be produced from waste materials, including household waste, so not only will the process address the food for fuel argument, it will also benefit the environment by lowering the amount of waste going to landfill.
Automotive use
Current law in the EU allows up to 10% Bioethanol in petrol, Bioethanol can also be used in much higher concentrations in specially adapted vehicles such as “E85” vehicles. E85 is a blend of 85% Bioethanol and 15% petrol. Many forecourt pumps already dispense Bioethanol blended in petrol around 5% as an octane enhancer, so chances are you have it in your bike or car already without knowing! At low blended percentages standard engines can cope with the fuel without any modification.Pure Bioethanol (E100), E85 (available at an increasing number garage forecourts) or indeed normal unleaded fuel, can be used in Cougar RED engines. Cougar RED engines have specially been designed to accept Bioethanol, engines that haven’t been designed for this may experience problems as Bioethanol is very corrosive (at high percentages) to standard fuel systems, rubber hoses and gaskets, aluminum, and combustion chambers. Our two year development cycle has allowed us to overcome these challenges and create the ultimate eco-motorcycle racing engine.
Racing with Bioethanol
Team Cougar “Racing Spirit” compete using approved E85, but ultimately the team would like to see governing bodies raise the bar and allow E100. By running E100 two-stroke engine emissions would be lowered even further creating a true eco-friendly solution. Bioethanol is the answer to safeguarding the future of two-strokes.At Cougar RED Ltd we are licensed by HM Revenue and Customs to acquire pure Bioethanol (alcohol E100) for use with Cougar RED engines and associated research and development.
(Picture left is the Lotus Exige E100 Bioethanol Supercar)
The Future
We realise Bioethanol will not be the only solution to reducing the transport carbon footprint or world reliance on fossil fuels, but it does have an important contribution to make in the overall global strategy. Other alternative solutions will also play a part, including electric and hydrogen, but both these are not without their downsides too. We believe all alternative solutions should be explored and innovation allowed to flourish.(Picture right is the Saab Aero X E100 Bioethanol Supercar.)