[suspectnumber961]

(as nominated by The Church of the Holley Carburetor)

The great advantage of light molecules such as acetone and neohexane may be seen during second stage combustion when the ordinary and heavier fuel fragments are caught in the sticky, viscous whirlpool that impedes further combustion. The light molecules and fragments are able to still zoom around like bullets and encounter many hits that elude the heavier components. Hydrogen is the lightest and fastest and most active particle, even in a very hot cylinder. The lighter particles can collide with a high frequency and are not slowed much by the great viscosity. They can help yield more torque. Therefore these little guys can contribute a very strong role in overcoming surface tension and continuing good combustion under conditions that might otherwise cause it to sputter and/or die out. When these very kinetic small objects persist in the combustion process, they do not slow down and will likely interact with larger fuel fragments in the neighborhood. The result is combustion that keeps going strongly until the exhaust valve opens. No, the small methyl-bearing particles are not fast burning but they burn completely and assist other particles to burn completely. The instant the exhaust valve begins to open, a very drastic cooling takes place within a very few degrees of rotation. This ends combustion within the cylinder and flushes the contents of the cylinder out toward the atmosphere. We can only hope the most heat possible was produced from the fuel and the particles being flushed will cause no harm. But this can only happen if we introduce light molecules such as the ones we have talked about. Neopentane and neohexane are expensive, unlike acetone and xylene. But with quantity we would see a drop in price.

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The irregularity of subsequent burns can be seen in the uneven pressure spikes and temperature deviations inside a one-cylinder Research Engine running at a "constant" speed with "constant" torque and "constant" fuel mixture and "constant" fuel consumption rate at "constant" horsepower. Pressures can vary as much as 100 PSI with some fuel stocks. The variations are least with the addition of acetone into gasoline or indolene, a lab test fuel. And of course the spikes are nearly all level with propane as the fuel. It seems the more thoroughly that vaporization occurs, the smoother the engine operates and the less variation in cylinder pressures happens in one-cylinder test engines--or any normal engine.

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When good fuel layering exists and combustion progresses nicely, most if not all of the fuel in the cylinder gets burned and the specific fuel consumption rate is the lowest possible--perhaps below .400. Average good gasoline is .500. When fuel layering is poor and combustion falters part way through the burn, the specific fuel consumption rate is very high--perhaps over .700 as may be the case with ethanol blends.

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On this site, you see that acetone, xylene, neopentane, neohexane and some other products can improve mileage because they have plenty of methyl ions. The methyl ions therefore greatly enhance the probability of successful and complete combustion through the end of the power cycle. This maximizes efficiency and brings emissions to near zero. All my research with fuels boils down to this simple fact that methyl ions can control the burns beautifully. These additives boost BMEP and allow more pressure on the piston and crank when the piston is moving swiftly down the cylinder because this is the point when common combustion is most prone to pooping out. This is where normal combustion needs help.

The LARGE or heavy alkanes are the ones that refuse to disassociate further and are not suitable as fuels and should be considered a form of sludge. The smaller alkanes may not be the best perhaps for combustion but they do not act like the heavy ones in this respect.


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I found that the lowest octane gasoline typically offers the best MPG. The best gasoline may come from Wal-Mart, Cenex, Chevron, Texaco or some tiny gas station down the road whose owner believes in quality for his customers. The octane rating is the measure of how a fuel responds to heat and pressure at top center. If a gasoline self-ignites too easily near TDC, it has a poor octane rating. If a fuel self-ignites with great reluctance and maintains a high tolerance for heat and pressure, it is very stable and would rate with a high octane over 100. Iso-octane forms the standard with an exact rating of 100. Stable fuels rich in methyl ions possess the highest octane ratings of all--up to 165. These are acetone, xylene, tri-methylbenzene, neopentane and others. We are ignoring metals. For instance, acetone can take a CR of 17:1. Xylene can take 15:1. Neopentane can tolerate 19:1. The three isomers of xylene (meta, para and ortho) vary slightly on how much compression ratio each can support but they are close to 15:1. Persons trying to damage the idea of acetone as a fuel additive make the error of claiming it burns too fast, while in reality it is well documented as one of the slowest burning hydrocarbons known. Make no dumb assumptions and test for yourself. The best gasoline will contain no alcohol because ethanol damages good combustion. Period. Avoid ethanol because any ethanol content means that fuel will deliver less MPG and will contain water. Water content costs you performance and mileage. To avoid errors or mistakes in judgement, I use a ScanGauge and always take the average of several readings. I have spent years on just fuel research.

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In conclusion, alcohol in gasoline attracts water. This hurts mileage because water acts like a fire extinguisher. It's just not the smartest thing to put in your gas. Some cars may quit due to the incombustible nature of the water laden fuel. This happened to me several times on trips. Watch out if someone tries to tell you that lower gas mileage does not hurt emissions. That is a common falsehood. It's a pure mythconception. If you acquire water in your gas, try the Texaco/Chevron Techron cleaning additive with acetone. I would never use an alcohol based additive. I also KNOW acetone is best to fight alcohol and water. Plus it boosts mileage and helps to undo some of the damage to mileage from ethanol.

Each gallon of alcohol in your gas tank creates the need to import two or three more gallons of foreign oil because of the damage to MPG by mixing gas with alcohol. Ethanol does NOT reduce our dependence on Arab, Canadian and Mexican oil. Ethanol INCREASES our dependance. Ethanol (73,000) has much lower BTUs per gallon than gasoline (124,000) or diesel (139,000). We need more BTUs, not fewer, per gallon for good mileage. And the BTUs need to be released more efficiently in the engine.