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Show EARTH HEAT FOR GASOHOL The first known experiment experi-ment using geothermal energy to distill alcohol for use as a fuel was reported recently by EG&G, Inc., in support of a Federal energy resources program. Researchers used the natural hot water from beneath be-neath the earth to distill sugar beet syrup into alcohol which can be added to gasoline to make gasohol. Gasohol is usually 10 percent per-cent alcohol and 90 percent gasoline. Conducted successfully at the U.S. Energy Department's Depart-ment's Raft River geothermal geo-thermal site, in south central Idaho, the experiment was given full support by an EG&G subsidiary, EG&G Idaho, as site management contractor to the Energy Department's Idaho National Nation-al Engineering Laboratory. The low-cost experiment used a moderate tempera- , . ture of 240F., proving that geothermal water is a potential poten-tial source of heat energy for distillation and that it can also augment the fermenting fer-menting liquid, thus conserving con-serving water as well as nonrenewable fossil fuels. Researchers are now evaluating geothermal applications appli-cations for distilling alcohol from other . cheaply supplied, sup-plied, easily renewable products. prod-ucts. Colorado State University Univer-sity is participating in the study which includes forest slash, wheat straw, pine chips and surplus farm crops. |