Re: was Car Craft Ramblings, now Alky fuel

[farna@xxxxxxx]

John, the US auto industry has decided to "wait and see" how hydrogen power turns out. I'm sure they are doing a bit of research, but other than hybrids they aren't real interested in anyhting else. I don't know if hydrogen is going to be the real answer, but that's what Detroit is betting on. When gas gets in the $5 a gallon range here hydrogen powered cars (in the form of electricity producing fuel cells) will become more attractive. We've got 10 years at the most for that, could be as little as five. I hope R&D is getting somewhere! Everyone knows that the hybrids are just stop-gaps. 

Yeah, 10% alcohol is about all current cars will take and still perform the same. If alky were more available it would be worth building the engines/fuel systems to support it though. The main thing as far as components is different rubber/neoprene compounds are required. 

On April 30, 2005 John McEwen wrote:

> It's a possibility Bruce, but the costs of converting won't make it
> attractive.  Alky requires a lot of changes internally to compression
> and timing.  It doesn't provide near the energy that petroleum does
> and it's a problem to important bits of the fuel system.  The other
> really big problem will be finding enough of it if petroleum-based
> fuels disappear.  Unless the entire industry switches, not at all
> likely given the current directions of fuel/drivetrain research,
> there isn't going to be a significant amount readily available.
> 
> Several jurisdictions are using alky now - mixed into gasoline - but
> the proportion is limited by the engines it's used in, their
> resistance to alcohol damage and by the technology we have - which is
> moving in a different direction.
> 
> John


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