Warm air intake? how about warm fuel?

[tektic]

I have a 2002 altima that does not recirculate fuel back to the tank. There is no return line. I Notice sever millage differences in winter from summer. I know additives to gas are a contributing factor, but temperature also seems an inevitable culprit. I have created a device from a coil of copper tubing that incased inside a 3"copper chamber with reducers on both ends. I have it installed so the chamber is filled with coolant. And fuel can flow through the coil. I just have connected the fuel side. Maybe next winter.
I got scared. Anyone else try something like this. Any input would be appreciated.


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[MetroMPG]

FYI, winter vs. summer fuel economy differences are caused by a wide number of variables: 9 reasons why your winter fuel economy bites! - MetroMPG.com . Food for thought.

[Shawn D.]

The diesel folks who run WVO/SVO heat the fuel due to the viscosity in the fuel injector, not for efficiency. Below about 160°F, the veggie oil is too viscous.

If gasoline is heated post-fuel-pump, vapor lock is probably a moot point.

[tektic]

Vapor lock was far more common in older gasoline fuel systems incorporating a low-pressure mechanical fuel pump driven by the engine, located in the engine compartment and feeding a carburetor.

My pump is in my tank nowhere near any heated fuel, as I explained there is no return line.

The boiling point of gasoline varies. At atmospheric pressure, it's between 100 and 400 oF. A primary cause of this variance is the various additives in the gasoline from different refiners designed to meet different octane requirements.

So in the winter there's almost no way it will be vapor. But it wont be -10.

Gasoline isn't even flammable, only its vapor is.

So no one has any experience with this application at all? I searched for threads on this motor with no luck.

[hansj3]

thats not true, gasoline has a flash point down to -40 and then there are additaves to drop that... http://www.jdm-inc.com/files/Gasolin...ventional).pdf

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

An interesting variation on this was used in the Ducati SuperMono -- instead of using a fuel injector that sprays a mist; they used an injector that sprayed a single stream of gas, aimed right at the center top of the piston. The fuel hits the hot metal piston crown and vaporizes -- and it cools the top of the piston better than an oil mist on the backside.

The size of the piston/combustion chamber on this motorcycle required them to do this; and they ended up with a (counterbalanced) single cylinder engine that can rev up well over 10K RPM.

[ncs]

Engine & fuel engineering - Smokey's Adiabatic Engine

Hot vapor induction. Doesn't look like anyone has really followed up on it to prove it does or doesn't work.

I also seem to remember a patent on a system that injected fuel around the exhaust valve, vaporizing the gas and cooling the valve at the same time. Nothing ever came of that one either.

We need a hardcore version of mythbusters to try some of this stuff out.

[basslover911]

Originally Posted by ncs

We need a hardcore version of mythbusters to try some of this stuff out.

YES!!!

[theunchosen]

I said this earlier in the post

You want fuel as cool as you can get it so long as they injectors and pumps can handle it.

All fuel quenches the chamber whether its a vapor or a liquid or a mist. Obviously liquid quenches the most, then mist then vapor. the vapor only cools because its at a lower temperature.

Any cooling of the cylinder allows for increased torque at a given rpm. That allows you to put slightly less fuel in and get a more complete combustion, intake, and exhaust. Cooling of the cylinder also drastically increases engine life(so long as its not drastic, like pouring water into a cylinder).

[chembustion]

Originally Posted by Duffman

I think there is depending on the circumstances. Diesel absolutely, gasoline in cold weather possibly, but gains would be less than diesel. I want to heat the fuel lines with electricity, does anybody have an idea of a product that works off 12V that I can wrap around a fuel line. I do not want to just wrap wire around my lines.

Chemical supply houses ( for labs and such ) sell heat tape...but I have never heard of 12 volt DC h. tape. Probably because of the current draw. We used Variacs to start heating at 120 AC in the labs, then turn the AC down to the desired temp.
You would definately want to wrap this tape in fiberglas or something similar ... to avoid the loss of precious heat. Watch the electrical shorts to the steel line(s)....