I am by no means a chemical engineer, more of a simple grease monkey. I know nothing of hydroxyl groups, but I might order some at the bar for fun now.
Methanol can be used on a spark ignited engine in 2 ways. Used as a straight up fuel it makes about 20% more power than gasoline due to a higher heat content and a better cooling effect. It runs somewhere about 115 equivalent octane, so more spark advance is available providing further power.
The trade off is a much higher fuel-air ratio (about 8/1 by weight as opposed to gasoline's 14/1) so consumption is much higher, any fuel system components must be hardened against chemical degradation, Injectors or carb must be tuned for the 8/1 ratio, and the induction/intake system must be upsized to accomodate a physically larger fuel/air charge.
Methanol is also kind of poisonous/dangerous, so on top of everything else it is mainly used as a racing fuel.
The more friendly way to use methanol is to spray a 50/50 water-meth mix into the intake under power. The water vaporizes and cools the intake charge and the methanol sweetens the mix to combine for an effective 110-115 octane rating. Extra power is made through the extra spark advance available and the cooler intake charge, which is very beneficial on forced-induction setups.
There are a few kits available to do this, the cool thing is to obtain a 50/50 water-meth mix, one has to look no further than some blue windshield washer fluid!
Ethanol as a fuel works with a ratio closer to that of gasoline but makes about 20% less power. An equivalent 105 or so octane helps, but the net power produced is less than gas, therefore the consumption is higher for equivalent power.
Growing corn to make ethanol seems silly to me, but that's a different deal. We're off topic enough.
Oh, and to be clear, the second methanol option (the washer fluid) is usually used as an add-on to an existing gasoline set-up and only sprays into the intake under full throttle. This technology goes back to WW2 fighter planes.
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I am by no means a chemical engineer, more of a simple grease monkey. I know nothing of hydroxyl groups, but I might order some at the bar for fun now.
Methanol can be used on a spark ignited engine in 2 ways. Used as a straight up fuel it makes about 20% more power than gasoline due to a higher heat content and a better cooling effect. It runs somewhere about 115 equivalent octane, so more spark advance is available providing further power.
The trade off is a much higher fuel-air ratio (about 8/1 by weight as opposed to gasoline's 14/1) so consumption is much higher, any fuel system components must be hardened against chemical degradation, Injectors or carb must be tuned for the 8/1 ratio, and the induction/intake system must be upsized to accomodate a physically larger fuel/air charge.
Methanol is also kind of poisonous/dangerous, so on top of everything else it is mainly used as a racing fuel.
The more friendly way to use methanol is to spray a 50/50 water-meth mix into the intake under power. The water vaporizes and cools the intake charge and the methanol sweetens the mix to combine for an effective 110-115 octane rating. Extra power is made through the extra spark advance available and the cooler intake charge, which is very beneficial on forced-induction setups.
There are a few kits available to do this, the cool thing is to obtain a 50/50 water-meth mix, one has to look no further than some blue windshield washer fluid!
Ethanol as a fuel works with a ratio closer to that of gasoline but makes about 20% less power. An equivalent 105 or so octane helps, but the net power produced is less than gas, therefore the consumption is higher for equivalent power.
Growing corn to make ethanol seems silly to me, but that's a different deal. We're off topic enough.
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NotStrangeBird
10 years ago
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Oh, and to be clear, the second methanol option (the washer fluid) is usually used as an add-on to an existing gasoline set-up and only sprays into the intake under full throttle. This technology goes back to WW2 fighter planes.