> > >> Perhaps the comparison test was about performance. I'll
> wait and
> > >> see what
> > >> he says. AGE-85 is formulated with aircraft in mind,
> using
> > >> many of the
> > >> performance enhancing additives that gasoline normally
> has
> > >> including
> > >> a wee
> > >> bit of biodiesel, whereas Baylor's E-95 (at this
> point) is
> just
> > >> denatured
> > >> ethanol. Don't race cars run on methanol?
> > >>
> > >> Doug Fir
> > >>
> > >> Doug,
> > >> Yes racecars usually run Methanol, which is even worse
> energy
> > >> wise.
> > >> Simple fact is gasoline comes in at 115,000 BTU/gal and
> ethanol at
> > >> 84,000 BTU/gal, or about 73% the energy available in a
> gallon of
> > >> gasoline. Gas is hard to beat. Some of the effects of
> burning
> > >> ethanol
> > >> may help bring it closer to gasoline. Tolerance of higher
> > >> compression
> > >> without detonation or per-ignition, and less thermal
> energy wasted
> > >> to
> > >> cooling do help, but ethanol comes in with a large gap
> relative to
> > >> gasoline. It's a cleaner burning fuel but you can't make
> the
> > >> physics
> > >> change much. The rotaries tolerance for a wide range of
> fuels is
> > >> useful,
> > >> but spark ignition bio-diesel might do you better for
> milage.
> > >> Bill Jepson
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > Spark ignition bio-diesel is a new one on me. Please
> explain.
> Do you
> > > mix it with gasoline, and if so in what ratio?
> > >
> > > #2 diesel has much more energy than gasoline. The biodiesel
> I am
> > > familiar with has slightly less, but still more than
> gasoline.
> > >
> > > Doc Custer
> > > Retired software engineer and sometime Audiologist
> > > Building RV9-A. Fuselage
> > >
> > > CW and perhaps John
> > > The Wankel will run on direct injection diesel fuel
> > > as long as you fire it with a spark plug.
> > >
> > > CW and perhaps John Deere were running the engine on heavy
> fuel
> > > years ago. there are many SAE and other tech papers on the
> subject.
> > >
> > > Wankel Gmbh demonstrated such a turbo charged engine at OSH
> > > several years ago. Here are some pictures from the factory
> > > in Korf Germany
> > >
> > > Mistral in Geneva Switzerland is/was also working on a
> > > NA such engine. Here are some pictures of the engine
> > > on the Mistral dyno in Geneva.
> > >
> > >
> > > Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
> >
> >
> >
> > Wow!
> >
> > I have trouble seeing biodiesel as an aircraft fuel for the
> same
> > reasons #2 diesel is not suitable: the tendency to gel and/or
> solidify
> > at the low temperatures commonly encountered at high
> altitudes. JetA
> > would probably be more suitable, particularly if it were
> heated. The
> > heat would have to be controlled somehow. Biodiesel, if made
> from the
> > right vegetable oil stock, might also be suitable if heated.
> >
> > The other problems I can see right off the top of my head are
> that of
> > low vapor pressure and higher viscosity. If the fuel was
> sprayed
> > directly on hot metal, the low vapor pressure might not be a
> factor,
> > particularly if special injectors were used. Maybe. The
> higher
> > viscosity would require a modified fuel system including
> injectors.
> > And probably the fuel map would have to be made temperature
> aware as
> > the viscosity of some of these fuels change dramatically with
> changing
> > temperature. On the plus side, a lower volume of fuel would
> have
> to be
> > dealt with per cycle for the same power/energy; and range
> would be
> > improved.
> >
> > Looks like a major development effort to me.
> >
> > Doc Custer
> > Retired software engineer and sometime Audiologist
> > Building RV9-A. Fuselage
> >
> >
>
> I've been running waste vegetable oil in my '85 benz for 12
> months now.
> The secret is in the filtering and preheating.
> Although I would not recommend waste veggie oil for aircraft
> applications,
> you could try new canola
> oil as long as it is preheated to @ 170 F through an electric
> inline
> heater,
> then through the coolant heat exchanger.
> The heat exchanger is @ 8 -10 pounds. The inline electric is 4
> ounces, but
> draws 20 - 30 amps.
> Mike Arndt
>
> I agree with Mike that heating vegetable oil for use as diesel fuel
> is
> important, I made a simple heat exchanger out of 1/2" and 3/4'
> plumbing
> fittings, running coolant through the 3/4" fittings.
> Another worthwhile trick for our mild winters is to add about 5%
> unleaded - the lower the octane the better. This raises the cetane
> rating ( the opposite of octane rating ) so cold starts are easier.
> It
> also lowers the viscosity at low temps so it will go through fuel
> filters
>
> We have a lot of vehicles in Oz running on LPG, a variation of this
> is
> to inject it into diesels to improve their economy and power. In
> this
> case the amount of LPG injected would have to be kept down so the
> mixture was too lean to detonate at diesel compression ratios.
>
> I prefer to run on the waste vegetable oil rather than "biodiesel" -
> the
> conversion using caustic soda and methanol is too expensive and
> messy.
> Why throw away those 3 carbon atoms in the glycerine part anyway,
> I'd
> rather burn them!
>
> John Evans
>
Probably a good idea if you are willing to tinker with the beast, prep
the oil and risk trouble with the EPA and IRS if you live in the US. I
mean this sincerely. Some folks do.
I made some biodiesel. Dangerous chemicals, a mess, and disposal
problems, even if you use KOH instead of NaOH as a "catalyst." With
KOH you get potassium phosphate, a useable fertilizer as a by-product.
(Phosphoric acid is used to neutralize the KOH.) There are other
advantages to KOH. Good practice requires washing the biodiesel. The
wash water poses a disposal problem. The EPA license to make biodiesel
is $5,000 per year. I decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
We have at least one automobile (an old Benz) running on Straight
Vegetable Oil (used) here in the mountains of Colorado. Filter (a
problem) and heat are required. Starts on #2 diesel, runs on SVO.
Useless for short trips <20 miles and then only if housed in a garage,
preferably heated, in the winter 6 months. The owner uses it to
commute back and forth to the Denver area, about 180 miles, on an
irregular basis.
I think you have to have an indirect injection engine to use SVO, but
I am not sure. I have been told direct injection cokes the injectors.
That is why most vehicles running SVO are old Benzes and Volkswagens,
usually busses. There is lots of over-optimistic folk lore of
questionable veracity.
We had one company come and tell us that running SVO was feasible but
not optimal unless you use large quantities. The company
representative (President) said that most of his customers were
businesses that used over 1,000 gallons per WEEK! He only converts the
trucks. Selling and using SVO for use as a fuel is ILLEGAL - just ask
the EPA and IRS. He said that as long as you weren't selling it you
probably wouldn't be bothered. The IRS is involved because there is no
way to pay the federal highway tax. The EPA is involved because all
ICE fuels are hazardous. If SVO is used as an ICE fuel, it is
obviously a hazardous material. Some famous person once said "The law
is an ass." I agree. I wish I knew who said it. I think it is a well
known truism in the legal profession.
Proponents of using SVO seldom tell you that its use in the US is
illegal. There is lots of information on these fuels on the web. Not
all of it is correct. Caveat emptor!
Doc Custer
Retired software engineer and sometime Audiologist
Building RV9-A. Fuselage
We are probably getting a little away from "rotary engines" here ,
although I am particularly interested in using SVO in the rotary, and I
gather some others are also.
I would disagree with the allegation that it "cokes up the injectors"
having run an indirect injection engine over 50,000 miles on it, and I
would have a similar distance on my present turbo direct injection
engine with no sign of any such problem.
So far the only problem with the addition of 5% unleaded "autogas" to
improve cold starting ( as recommended by Mercedes) as well as flow
through fuel filters is that the cost per litre rises from 2.5 cents to
about 9 cents.
I shudder to think what poorly washed biodiesel does to the alloy parts
of the injector pump!
John Evans
The Rotary Engine NewsLetter. Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site.
http://www.rotaryeng.net
Copyright 1998-2006 All world wide rights reserved.