Re: Tornado...Tell a friend!

[Sachelle Babbar <sbabbar@iris.nyit.edu>]

> 	   Other interesting info: passed Chrysler's 5-year durability
> 	   test, tested by government labs, Limited Lifetime Warranty
> 	   in USA, proven to increase fuel economy.

Now if only Chryslers cars can pass their 5 year test.

****************************************************************************
*Steve                                       Sachelle Babbar
*'84  5ksT 1.6-2.0 bar                    <SBABBAR@IRIS.NYIT.EDU>
*Cockpit adjustable wastegate, AudiSport badge
*
*Disclaimer:"Any information contained herein is based purely on my own
*personal experience and may not necessarily reflect yours. Use caution as
*your results may vary from mine."
********************************************************************************

On Fri, 3 Apr 1998, Gerard wrote:

> There are other makers of the similar thing. The ads read something
> like: "swirls the air to form a vortex which vaporizes the fuel
> more effectively for better combustion therefore better power and
> economy". I thought about it and thought about and I guess a really
> good vortex could do some good work at atomizing the fuel and mixing
> it with the air. But no matter which way I thought about it I just
> just could get the vortex to move all the way to where the fuel was
> put in. I mean, put this Tornado or whatever thing in the inlet
> pipe of a CIS car, the vortex will be dead at the filter. Put it in
> EFI before the filter box and the filter will kill the vortex. Put it
> after the box and before the air meter and it will do lovely swirly
> things on the heated wires, which might be large enough to change
> the swirling action. (BTW, I think one of these things could actually
> help in those funny cases of having a cone filter on a EFI heat-wire
> air meter car that lacks enough tubing between the meter and filter
> to suitable smooth out the air flow. I think someone had a fault like
> that recently on the list). Put it after the flow meter and before
> the throttle body and it will make a difference if you're running
> single-point throttle body fuel injection and the injector is way before
> the inlet flap of the throttle body, which I think is wrong (injectors
> are after the flap, right? Never seen a throttle body injector before).
> Anyway, inlet manifolds will kill the vortex effect, I don't see how
> a single vortex will easily split into several little ones or be able
> to switch direction so quickly in a turbulent environment like an
> inlet manifold. Perhaps this thing is really great for nitrous
> injection, put the vortex-maker just before the NO-injector to get it
> all mixed up real good...but I have a turbo, so inject the stuff into
> the turbo and let the turbo mix it up!
> 
> Well, that's my way of looking at this Tornado thing. And I'm no
> engineer, these are just opinions of a pleb.
> 
> While we're at it, I've looked up some other stuff if anyone is
> interested in all those gadgets they have for saving fuel, reducing
> emmissions, increasing torque and power. Some seem usable, some seem
> downright dangerous to me.
> 
> 	1. Mileage Wizard (ww.mileagewiz.com).
> 
> 	   Price: $329.95 per unit.
> 
> 	   Description: a pipe that has hosing wrapped around it.
> 
> 	   Method of use: the pipe section fits into a radiator hose
> 	   and there is an inlet and outlet for fuel to run through
> 	   hosing/tubing around the pipe.
> 
> 	   Claim: 5-10 miles per gallon more, with proven test results.
> 
> 	   Concept: quite old, I put something like this onto the list
> 	   last year, the idea is that heated fuel provides better
> 	   economy since it is near vaporized point and less dense and
> 	   therefore mixes easier with the air. Cooling the fuel makes
> 	   it more dense and you can get more fuel into the cylinder
> 	   for more power, provided you get enough air in.
> 
> 	   My opinion: $300+ is way too much! Take the fuel line
> 	   wrap it around the radiator hose, or, even better, wrap it
> 	   around a manifold to heat it up. And, oh yes, good luck! :)
> 	   I think the principle works and it comes in some neat
> 	   looking packaging too. But I wonder if these guys ever
> 	   considered a case of overheating? Also, you now have 2 extra
> 	   possible fuel leakage points...and straight onto some lovely
> 	   hot radiator hosing. I'm sure it works as said, but one
> 	   could probably have one made for way under $300. I have no
> 	   idea just how performance would be affected, but power
> 	   increases are claimed.
> 
> 	2. PowerCat (R) (www.powercat.com)
> 
> 	   Price: $157.99 for 4-cylinder app.
> 	          $169.99 for 6-cylinder app.
> 	          $177.99 for 8-cylinder app.
> 	          So I guess $162.99 for 5-cylinder app! :)
> 
> 	   Description: a small unit housing magnets and some "alloy"
> 
> 	   Method of use: clamps onto fuel line some 12-inchs from
> 	   carb or injection unit
> 
> 	   Claims: Reduce emissions 50%-85%. Immediately add 15HP.
> 	   Improve gas mileage. Smoother running engine, less
> 	   maintainance.
> 
> 	   Concept: fuel enters via fuel line and is treated by the
> 	   "alloy catalyst", then passes through magnetic field to
> 	   prevent hydrogen atoms from clumping together and allow them
> 	   to bond more easierly with oxygen, hence a more complete
> 	   fuel burn (97% as opposed to 75% average)
> 
> 	   Other interesting info: ISO9000 approved manufacture by
> 	   Douglas of McDonnell Douglas and they actually mention the
> 	   lab names of those who have done tests on it.
> 
> 	   My opinion: old story as well, I saw this many years ago
> 	   even here in South Africa. I'm no chemical engineer, there
> 	   are more capable and knowledgable people on the list who
> 	   understand what happens when fuel burns, perhaps they could
> 	   let us know whether this concept helps.
> 
> 	3. Fuelsaver Prozone (www.fuelsaver.com)
> 	   Price: must send e-mail for this.
> 	   Concept, and blah-blah: same as #2 above, but would make
> 	   a noisier infomercial if we based it all on websites.
> 
> 	4. The Clean Air Valve (www.wave.net/rvg/cav/cav.html)
> 
> 	   Price: $39.95 for gasoline CAV, $20 rebate if ordering by
> 	   e-mail. $99.95 for diesel CAV, $50 rebate if ordering by
> 	   e-mail.
> 
> 	   Description and method of use: becomes part of the PCV
> 	   system, I think on the Audis it will replace that joint on
> 	   top of the valve cover or perhaps in the piping from that
> 	   joint to the airbox.
> 
> 	   Claims: increased fuel economy (11.34%), increased engine
> 	   performance, lower emissions (+- 50.73%), longer lasting
> 	   engine and tune-ups, never needs replacing.
> 
> 	   Concept: gases coming out of crank hinder the natural
> 	   combustion of the fuel when the gases are recirc'd back into
> 	   the inlet air stream (hydrocarbons and oil put the flame
> 	   out I think). This is a filter that removes the hydrocarbons
> 	   and oil from that recirc'd air and gases.
> 
> 
> 	   My opinion: probably could go a long way to removing crud
> 	   from the inlet system and helping burn fuel better. I would
> 	   not know exactly how detrimental a PCV system is to the
> 	   burn quality of the air fuel mixture, but I guess there is
> 	   some detrimental effect (F1 motors run a open vent system,
> 	   no recirculation, must get some power from doing that).
> 	   It's just a filter, not as flashy as the other stuff and
> 	   at $20 probably might do something helpful to economy and
> 	   emissions.
> 
> Those are the only ones I looked at. They'd probably all make wondeful
> infomercials for TV. The fuel heating thing is just fancy packaging,
> but the idea probably works. $300 though is ridiculous for some
> plastic and metal tubing!!! Now, who is going to make the unit that
> had the heating element and the magnets in it? Just how much can you
> heat the fuel? I mean, on the MC of my 200t if the fuel was heated
> and then passed to the fuel distributor and then passed over the
> IM and EM (both on the side of the fuel distributor) just how much
> heat would be needed to set the stuff off? Wasn't that the reason
> behind the injector cooler, to keep the temp of the fuel and injector
> down so they don't go bang!
> 
> Interesting stuff, no?
> 
> G.
> 
> PS: this is a non-technical e-mail, folks, it is, afterall, me who is
>     speaking! :)
> -- 
> "a thousand miles from here, there is another person smiling"
> 1990 Turbo (200t, MAC13A ECU, 1.4-1.6 bar (1.8 bar with faulty WGFV!),
> FWD auto)
> name   : gerard van vught
> tel    : +27-21-696 0331 (h) / 082 923 9609 (cell)
> url    : http://www.poboxes.com/gerard/
> e-mail : gerard@poboxes.com  / han.solo@galaxycorp.com
> 
>