E-Fuel Develops Home Ethanol Manufacturing Kit

E-Fuel will begin selling a system that enables people to make their own ethanol at home. The MicroFueler will cost about $10,000, is about the size of a standard gas pump and comes has a 35-gallon capacity. The MicroFueler uses sugar as its primary fuel source. The sugar is combined with a special yeast developed by E-Fuel.

Using 10 to 14 pounds of refined sugar, the MicroFueler can produce about one gallon of ethanol at a cost comparable to current per-gallon prices for gasoline. Using lower quality sugar, the per-gallon cost can be reduced to about $1 per gallon. The MicroFueler features a novel distiller that can separate water from the alcohol at a relatively low temperature.

In the United States, it is illegal to run a conventional vehicle on a 100% ethanol mixture. Homeowners who want to install the MicroFueler on their properties must obtain a permit from the Federal government. The company also plans to release the device to the worldwide market.

Source: PhysOrg
Photo: E-Fuel