Alcohol used as fuel in cars in Brazil

Since the begining of the week when we started to study the different types of energy, many students have asked me about the use of alcohol as a fuel in

Brazil, so I decided to explain how it works.

First, the sugar cane is planted and harvested (see the pictures), then the sugar cane is carried to the industry, where it is smashed. The resulting juice is fermented which transform it sugar contents in alcohol (ethanol). The alcohol is distilled to separate it from the water and other contaminants.

The resulting alcohol is then sent to the gas stations. As is possible to see, the Brazilians gas stations, have both pump: one for gas and one for alcohol. The new Brazilians cars are able to burn both fuels at any porpotion because of the technology caled flex-fuel, but since 1985 there were produced cars that could burn only alcohol. For example, I bought my first alcohol car in 1991, it was an Fiat Uno and it worked exactly as a gas car. The biggest advantage in buying an alcohol car is that the alcohol is less expensive and I could save a lot of money. One other interesting characterist is that the fumes (the exausting gases) smell very well!!!

The actual fleet of alcohol or flex fuel cars in Brazil is bigger than 5 million cars and almost half of fuel consuption in big cities, like Sao Paulo, is composed by alcohol.

It saves money for the population and saves carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

It is a great idea to develop this technology around the world.