My 1991 Talon TSi Compound Turbo AWD

[pgfpro]

New PB 53mpg in the Misfit Talon. After getting a ASNU injector flow/testing machine I have learned a ton of things about the flow of injectors.
Also, the fuel we have today and its properties that IMO are not the best when it comes to efficiency.

I made a few adjustments to the fuel that paid off big time. More on this later.

Also getting ready to work full time on this and retire from my day job. This will help a ton and let me focus all my time and energy on the Camaro project.

Thanks for this forum.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Do you think anything related to the ethanol content has something to do with the fuel available today being worse?

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Do you think anything related to the ethanol content has something to do with the fuel available today being worse?

The short answer to your question is that it does play a small part in poorer fuel economy based on ethanol energy content. I thought it played a bigger part but after doing some non-ethanol pump 91 octane test vs waste solvent test the data, I've seen is a more substantial than I would have ever thought.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Ethanol tends to work better on turbocharged engines anyway. A few months ago I had a talk about ethanol with a lady who owns a flexfuel Volkswagen Nivus, fitted with a 1.0 TSI engine, and who didn't try ethanol even though she knew her car is flexfuel.

[Logic]

Originally Posted by pgfpro

Update:

OK it looks like I have enough waste solvent now to last me clear into next Summer. So I'm thinking I might get a used Honda Generator and run it on waste solvent also and use it to run my heaters this winter in my garage.

Sorry to necro a post from 2105: I've been reading the whole thread with great interest and that's as far as I've gotten so far.

(IIRC Toluene and Acetone is what The Indian fellows over at Team-BHP recon one needs to add to std gas to increase its evaporation, and/or... something..?
I just thought it an interesting coincidence and maybe worth researching)

Anyway; waste solvent:

If you have enough; consider running your whole house on a genset most or part time:
Why:
Because when you can/do use the heat that usually goes to waste in an engine; its efficiency goes WAY up!

So with a decent water-cooled turbo'd genset you could plumb into the cooling system for hot water and use it for heating.
+
Put a heat exchanger/s (EGR/s would work) in the exhaust and get more hot water and a ton of hot air to blow into your workshop!

Then there's all the things you've already done to car engines that's a whole lot easier to do, reach and package on a stationary engine and you may well end up producing electricity (heat) at less than it normally costs, engine included!?

Perhaps even sell it back to the grid!? (Peak hours? That disposal service license you spoke of??)

It's kinda funny to think: "All that heat I struggle to get rid of in the car, I struggle to make in the house!" Bring it home!

Perhaps charge up a battery bank for when you don't need the heat.
Or... do a DIY plugin hybrid or even a full EV runabout, or... well the possibilities are endless IF the maths works out!?

Oh and you wouldn't be bored hot-rodding motors etc either IMHO.
The guys over at Endless-Sphere are pushing 40kw for 10 seconds with E-bike Hub motors! And more torque than a tractor from 0 rpm!
You only need 8 or 9 seconds!
It's all water cooling motors and StatorAde etc type fun!

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by Logic

Sorry to necro a post from 2105: I've been reading the whole thread with great interest and that's as far as I've gotten so far.

(IIRC Toluene and Acetone is what The Indian fellows over at Team-BHP recon one needs to add to std gas to increase its evaporation, and/or... something..?
I just thought it an interesting coincidence and maybe worth researching)

Anyway; waste solvent:

If you have enough; consider running your whole house on a genset most or part time:
Why:
Because when you can/do use the heat that usually goes to waste in an engine; its efficiency goes WAY up!

So with a decent water-cooled turbo'd genset you could plumb into the cooling system for hot water and use it for heating.
+
Put a heat exchanger/s (EGR/s would work) in the exhaust and get more hot water and a ton of hot air to blow into your workshop!

Then there's all the things you've already done to car engines that's a whole lot easier to do, reach and package on a stationary engine and you may well end up producing electricity (heat) at less than it normally costs, engine included!?

Perhaps even sell it back to the grid!? (Peak hours? That disposal service license you spoke of??)

It's kinda funny to think: "All that heat I struggle to get rid of in the car, I struggle to make in the house!" Bring it home!

Perhaps charge up a battery bank for when you don't need the heat.
Or... do a DIY plugin hybrid or even a full EV runabout, or... well the possibilities are endless IF the maths works out!?

Oh and you wouldn't be bored hot-rodding motors etc either IMHO.
The guys over at Endless-Sphere are pushing 40kw for 10 seconds with E-bike Hub motors! And more torque than a tractor from 0 rpm!
You only need 8 or 9 seconds!
It's all water cooling motors and StatorAde etc type fun!

Lots of good info in your comments, much appreciated.

I'm going to take your advice and start building an engine run stand. I have enough spare engines and parts to easily make this work. This will help, like you pointed out with some RnD.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I usually see supermarkets often using gensets in order to save on electric bills during peak hours, yet AFAIK co-generation (that heat recovery deal) is not so usual in my country as it should...

[Logic]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I usually see supermarkets often using gensets in order to save on electric bills during peak hours, yet AFAIK co-generation (that heat recovery deal) is not so usual in my country as it should...

Oh as soon as you use the heat from a ICE the efficiency goes WAY-WAY up!

On the farm the old 2 cylinder Lister genset was made so that the hot cooling water emptied/filled (top/bottom) into a large, high up, metal drum.
Maybe 60-80 gallons (this is ages ago in my youth)

The farm house's hot water all came from there and there was an old style (copper and brass) float valve in the top, to top it up with cold as we used it.

ie; Engine cooling during no water use was just the sides of the metal drum in the breeze and boil-off (unpressurised) if the water ever got that hot.
We ran baths and washed dishes etc as anyone would and I don't recall any issues.

There certainly weren't any efficiency calculations done! But I do recall it often being the subject of "...very clever..." conversation when we had visitors.
Just an example of a very simple, very easy system, working on one of the simplest and most reliable engines of the (all) time.

[Logic]

Originally Posted by pgfpro

Lots of good info in your comments, much appreciated.

I'm going to take your advice and start building an engine run stand. I have enough spare engines and parts to easily make this work. This will help, like you pointed out with some RnD.

Wow! Glad you like the idea pgfpro.

I'm guessing a direct rubber coupled Neodymium Permanent Magnet generator is most efficient, But then you are very much limited by the rpm's you can turn the engine-genset at.

If you are going to be testing various engines; a belt drive, with different size pulleys, or a plain old gearbox would allow you to easily run the engine~genset at optimal rpm's... mostly..!

I'll do some research.
How many KW and what rpm range/gearing are we talking?

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by Logic

Wow! Glad you like the idea pgfpro.

I'm guessing a direct rubber coupled Neodymium Permanent Magnet generator is most efficient, But then you are very much limited by the rpm's you can turn the engine-genset at.

If you are going to be testing various engines; a belt drive, with different size pulleys, or a plain old gearbox would allow you to easily run the engine~genset at optimal rpm's... mostly..!

I'll do some research.
How many KW and what rpm range/gearing are we talking?

Thanks again for the info.

KW I'm not sure? Right now I'm running two 1500watt heaters that will sustain working temps when it's 35*F outside.

I'm thinking about running my transmission also that would be coupled to generator. Cranks rpm will be between 2200rpm and 3200rpm.