[s-cars] Toluene, Race Gas, Water Injection, etc

[Charlie Smith]

Earlier, Bruce Mendel wrote:
>
> Granted it's mixed with water, but isn't methanol combustible 116 octane? I
> am getting extra fuel along with the water injection when I use washer
> fluid.

I think we are mixing things up here.  No pun intended.  And I may not
speak this exactly right, but you can get the idea.  You will notice
I've freely introduced some new technical terms and phrases here.

Octane is (I think) a measure of ability to resist detonation.  It does
not speak to the substance's goodness as a fuel (c).

BTU's per gallon are a better measure of the energy content of a substance
and speak to it's goodness as a fuel.

There are lots of other characteristics that need to be considered when
grading a substance on goodness as a fuel.  One that comes to mind is
how well it vaporizes at a given temperature; I'm sure there are many
other characteristics too.

To be good as a fuel in engines like ours, the substance needs to
have both a high BTU/gallon and a high octane figure.  Now, consider this:

Methanol is a good bit lower in the BTU/gallon score than gasoline or toluene.
Methanol is (I think) higher than most gasolines on the octane meter.

An attractive point for toluene is that it is both high BTUs/gallon and
high octane (114).

    -------
However, read on ...
    -------

I don't know how the conversation got into the idea of spraying a fuel
into the intake tract as a coolant.  Actually, I think that is a very
bad idea when we are talking about a non-oxygen bearing fuel.  What you
are going to do, besides cool the intake charge, is screw up the mixture
big time.  As soon as you make the mixture a lot richer, you will be
pumping unburned hydrocarbons out through the O2 sensor, and we all know
what that does.  Then the ECU will try to lean out the mixture, and it
will go downhill from there.

End of soapbox.

    - Charlie


>
> B
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <S4audinut at aol.com>
> To: <brucem105 at comcast.net>; <charlie at elektro.cmhnet.org>;
> <HoosierMP at aol.com>
> Cc: <s-car-list at audifans.com>
> Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 5:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Toluene, Race Gas, Water Injection, etc
>
> > > The toluene spray idea is pretty much what you get with a good Aquamist
> > > atomizing nozzle and using 50% methanol in the water injection.
> > >
> >
> > I beg to differ greatly. How will a non combustable give same results as a
> > 118 aromatic when injected?? I agree that water/alcahol is a good
> > alternative to intercoolers and other race measures, but it only
> > keeps what you got not gives huge increases.
> > Rod
> > _______________________________________________