4 ms·

Your car doesn't need a mix of lots of hydrocarbons, it would run fine on pure hexane. Gasoline is a mix because it's made from natural crude which is also a m

Your car doesn't need a mix of lots of hydrocarbons, it would run fine on pure hexane. Gasoline is a mix because it's made from natural crude which is also a mix... and there's not a strong reason to purify it further.

Hasz 8y ago
I imagine the engine is optimized to run on "average" gasoline for a given octane level, tuning compression ratio, spark timing, air mixture, etc. I'm not an ICE engineer, so I would love to know how much of a performance change can be expected from this guy's machine.
- RcouF1uZ4gsC 8y ago
  I believe the tuning is controlled electronically through software (this is what enabled VW Dieselgate). So a software update could enable the vast majority of cars to be able to use this fuel.
- etaioinshrdlu 8y ago
  You might find this youtube channel interesting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rzsm1Qi6N1X-wuOg_p0Ng/videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rzsm1Qi6N1X-wuOg_p0Ng/vid... He has run a gasoline engine on a whole slew of fuels, including some that may be surprising, such as isopropyl alcohol, various solvents, crude oil, and a 50% diesel gas mix. Gasoline engines can also run on pure propane, but the fuel pump, tank, and some other parts do need to be replaced. I guess the point is that gasoline engines are not in general super sensitive, while they still could be more optimized for certain fuels.
  - whenchamenia 8y ago
    Thats a low compression mower engine. Modern automobile engines are indeed quite sensitive to predetonation from slower ignition times offered by most alternatives without being designed for them.
    - etaioinshrdlu 8y ago
      Maybe this can be handled by adjusting valve timing in software.
    - dsfyu404ed 8y ago
      >Modern automobile engines are indeed quite sensitive to predetonation from slower ignition times offered by most alternatives without being designed for them. If by "design" you mean a different cam profile to drop the dynamic compression ratio then sure.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

Hasz 8y ago

I imagine the engine is optimized to run on "average" gasoline for a given octane level, tuning compression ratio, spark timing, air mixture, etc. I'm not an ICE engineer, so I would love to know how much of a performance change can be expected from this guy's machine.

RcouF1uZ4gsC 8y ago
I believe the tuning is controlled electronically through software (this is what enabled VW Dieselgate). So a software update could enable the vast majority of cars to be able to use this fuel.
etaioinshrdlu 8y ago
You might find this youtube channel interesting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rzsm1Qi6N1X-wuOg_p0Ng/videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rzsm1Qi6N1X-wuOg_p0Ng/vid... He has run a gasoline engine on a whole slew of fuels, including some that may be surprising, such as isopropyl alcohol, various solvents, crude oil, and a 50% diesel gas mix. Gasoline engines can also run on pure propane, but the fuel pump, tank, and some other parts do need to be replaced. I guess the point is that gasoline engines are not in general super sensitive, while they still could be more optimized for certain fuels.
- whenchamenia 8y ago
  Thats a low compression mower engine. Modern automobile engines are indeed quite sensitive to predetonation from slower ignition times offered by most alternatives without being designed for them.
  - etaioinshrdlu 8y ago
    Maybe this can be handled by adjusting valve timing in software.
  - dsfyu404ed 8y ago
    >Modern automobile engines are indeed quite sensitive to predetonation from slower ignition times offered by most alternatives without being designed for them. If by "design" you mean a different cam profile to drop the dynamic compression ratio then sure.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]