Run Your Car On (-oh)
06-29-2008, 05:26 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Mind you, this conversion would be harder on OBD2 systems, however:
Run your car on alcohol
Everything in here is highly doable. I was going to do it to the blue pony, but I forgot I have a stock 1.4L pony sitting around. The hardest part for me will be to dismantle a stock carburator (I have many) and enlarge it's jet. I'd have to do this very carefully. Everything else is easy, I could reuse the car's entire stock fuel system, and just have a small reservoir under the tank to "prime" the carb in cold weather. Everything else (timing and hotter plugs) can be done in a matter of 30 minutes.
The thing that will dent my plans the most is:
Where do I obtain large quantities of alcohol from? (IE drums of it)
There is, of course, this:
Make it yourself
However, making it in an apartment would be unsightly, as well as explosively dangerous.
Any thoughts, refinements to my original idea? (possibly premixed solutions such as methyl hydrate, etc)
Run your car on alcohol
Everything in here is highly doable. I was going to do it to the blue pony, but I forgot I have a stock 1.4L pony sitting around. The hardest part for me will be to dismantle a stock carburator (I have many) and enlarge it's jet. I'd have to do this very carefully. Everything else is easy, I could reuse the car's entire stock fuel system, and just have a small reservoir under the tank to "prime" the carb in cold weather. Everything else (timing and hotter plugs) can be done in a matter of 30 minutes.
The thing that will dent my plans the most is:
Where do I obtain large quantities of alcohol from? (IE drums of it)
There is, of course, this:
Make it yourself
However, making it in an apartment would be unsightly, as well as explosively dangerous.
Any thoughts, refinements to my original idea? (possibly premixed solutions such as methyl hydrate, etc)
06-29-2008, 07:42 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Very interesting
In an engine, a stoichiometric mixture of methanol and air would be over three times colder than the same gasoline/air mixture. This means that there is now over three times (by weight) as much methanol in the cylinder. Now, even though methanol has only half the heat value of gasoline, the net gain in "volumetric mass efficiency" is over three times. So, for example, if the gasoline/air mixture in a given engine cylinder produces 100 Btu on each stroke, the same engine would produce 150 Btu per stroke with methanol. This power gain due to increased volumetric mass efficiency is the primary reason for the popularity of methyl alcohol as a racing fuel. With ethanol the effect isn't quite as dramatic, but the greater heat value partially offsets the lower latent heat. Overall, this power increase with alcohol fuels considerably mitigates the liability of low heat value.
WATER INJECTION
During World War II, the military made extensive use of water injection in high performance piston aircraft engines. Later, water injection was used by both civilian and military jet aircraft to provide extra thrust, principally on takeoff. Even today, water injection systems are available that can be installed in automobiles. The fact is that, within certain limits, these systems actually do increase power. Referring back to Figure 2-2, note that the latent heat of vaporization for gasoline is about 140 Btu/lb and for ethanol about 361 Btu/lb. Water has a latent heat of about 700 Btu/lb! Therefore, if a little water is injected into the carburetor in the form of an ultra-fine mist, the latent heat of the water will cool the charge and increase volumetric efficiency. In addition, when the charge is fired in the cylinder, the water will turn to high-pressure steam and provide additional power due to the pressure exerted by the steam. There are definite limits, however, to the amount of water that can be injected. Too much will cause excessive cooling and misfiring.
The use of water injection with a gasoline fueled engine requires a separate metering and injection system because water and gasoline do not mix. Ethanol and water, however, do mix and the benefits of water injection can be had simply by adding the desired amount of water to the alcohol in the fuel tank.
EXCELLENT!!
Im keep reading now!
In an engine, a stoichiometric mixture of methanol and air would be over three times colder than the same gasoline/air mixture. This means that there is now over three times (by weight) as much methanol in the cylinder. Now, even though methanol has only half the heat value of gasoline, the net gain in "volumetric mass efficiency" is over three times. So, for example, if the gasoline/air mixture in a given engine cylinder produces 100 Btu on each stroke, the same engine would produce 150 Btu per stroke with methanol. This power gain due to increased volumetric mass efficiency is the primary reason for the popularity of methyl alcohol as a racing fuel. With ethanol the effect isn't quite as dramatic, but the greater heat value partially offsets the lower latent heat. Overall, this power increase with alcohol fuels considerably mitigates the liability of low heat value.
WATER INJECTION
During World War II, the military made extensive use of water injection in high performance piston aircraft engines. Later, water injection was used by both civilian and military jet aircraft to provide extra thrust, principally on takeoff. Even today, water injection systems are available that can be installed in automobiles. The fact is that, within certain limits, these systems actually do increase power. Referring back to Figure 2-2, note that the latent heat of vaporization for gasoline is about 140 Btu/lb and for ethanol about 361 Btu/lb. Water has a latent heat of about 700 Btu/lb! Therefore, if a little water is injected into the carburetor in the form of an ultra-fine mist, the latent heat of the water will cool the charge and increase volumetric efficiency. In addition, when the charge is fired in the cylinder, the water will turn to high-pressure steam and provide additional power due to the pressure exerted by the steam. There are definite limits, however, to the amount of water that can be injected. Too much will cause excessive cooling and misfiring.
The use of water injection with a gasoline fueled engine requires a separate metering and injection system because water and gasoline do not mix. Ethanol and water, however, do mix and the benefits of water injection can be had simply by adding the desired amount of water to the alcohol in the fuel tank.
EXCELLENT!!
Im keep reading now!
06-29-2008, 08:07 PM
#4
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Vehicle: 2002 Hyundai Elantra
Everything that I've read says that ethanol + as little as 1% water causes a sort of acid to form which can accelerate wear on the engine. I don't know if adding it into the engine as an injection is differet but it sounds like it is.
06-29-2008, 08:42 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
^^^ Correct, at lower temperatures (below 0) as little as 0.01 % will begin this process. HOWEVER, Im talking about running it on PURE alcohol (IE NOT mixing it with gasoline) Additionally, adding water to the alcohol will have a positive effect. Shit, if there's an E85 station near here, I can just pump it with that. I will have to add 8% Pentane to the mix (or more of isopentane) for winter startability.
I have to research more of the chemical composition of E85.
I GROW EXCITED!!
This will be the extent of the "hard" work:
With the jet removed, the next step is to measure its diameter. This is best done with a micrometer. You will want to enlarge the area of the jet about 27% for ethanol and 40% for methanol. Suppose, for example, your jet is 0.054" in diameter. The formula for the area of a circle is 3.14 (pi) times the square of the radius. The radius is half the diameter, so we multiply 0.027 x 0.027 x 3.14 to get an area of 0.002289 square inches. Multiply this times 1.27 (for a 27% enlargement) and we get 0.00291 square inches. Working the formula in reverse we get a diameter of 0.06087 inches. This is close to a #53 drill which is slightly too small. Since it is easier to enlarge a hole than to make one smaller, a wise choice for the first trial in this instance would be a #53 drill.
I allready have a ripped apart carb that I took apart a long time ago, I'm gonna go have a look at it when I get home
I have to research more of the chemical composition of E85.
I GROW EXCITED!!
This will be the extent of the "hard" work:
With the jet removed, the next step is to measure its diameter. This is best done with a micrometer. You will want to enlarge the area of the jet about 27% for ethanol and 40% for methanol. Suppose, for example, your jet is 0.054" in diameter. The formula for the area of a circle is 3.14 (pi) times the square of the radius. The radius is half the diameter, so we multiply 0.027 x 0.027 x 3.14 to get an area of 0.002289 square inches. Multiply this times 1.27 (for a 27% enlargement) and we get 0.00291 square inches. Working the formula in reverse we get a diameter of 0.06087 inches. This is close to a #53 drill which is slightly too small. Since it is easier to enlarge a hole than to make one smaller, a wise choice for the first trial in this instance would be a #53 drill.
I allready have a ripped apart carb that I took apart a long time ago, I'm gonna go have a look at it when I get home