Re: top-fueled (alcohol) tractors

Posted by IHank on January 23, 2001 at 08:39:19 from (207.177.47.133):

In Reply to: top-fueled (alcohol) tractors posted by Jim H. on January 22, 2001 at 10:41:05:

Jim- I did lots of ethanol experiments between late 70's and early 90's, using an 8N, a 318 Dodge, and an inline 300 Ford.

Clik on my e-mail link if you'd like a copy of Steve Rodgers' 1991 NSF funded report at ISU.

The 8N engine had been rebuilt using thin sleeves and domed pistons (increased compression ratio) in the early 70's and needed premium gas. The 180 proof ethanol experiments worked out real good. It did 18 HP on gas and would make 21 HP on 180 proof, during PTO dyno tests. The shop tech simply adjusted the carburetor mixture screw and adjusted the timing, while at full governor RPM and under load.

Don't remember the numbers now, but 180 proof ethanol required opening up the mixture screw and advancing the timing to realize the performance gain allowed. By 180 proof I mean the fuel was 90% ethanol and 10% water.

Engines built for propane are just right for ethanol.

With the Dodge and Ford experiments we used a home made electronic fuel injection system. It allowed us to manipulate fuel and air as independent variables. It also allowed us to do some pretty far out experiments with the fuel vaporized to a high temperature (500+ F for gas and 350+ F for 195 proof ethanol) just before the intake stroke.

We found and reported that engine fuel efficiency increase was possible. Keep in mind that it was a pretty crude home made system...

Modern into the port fuel injection engines accomplish a lot of what we did, by spritzing an individual combustion cycle quantity of fuel onto the back side of the hot intake valve. That creates a cloud of hot fuel vapor right behind the valve.

Part of the theory is that by taking the fuel up close to ignition temperature and forcing it to vapor state the combustion efficiency improves.

The best & most important for last... Ethanol has about 66% of the BTU of gasoline and is relatively gentle as to chemical activity. You can buy 100 proof ethanol in a plastic bottle at your package store (belch). Ethanol is a rural economy origin product. It is also highly taxed and controlled by BATF. The value of getting rid of BATF is a topic for another post!

Methanol has about 50% of the BTU of gasoline. It is nasty stuff as to chemical activity as a solvent and for corrosive action, which ruins fuel system parts. It is very toxic and not regulated by BATF. It is a product of the petroluem industry.

Go figger which way the money flows!

Both fuels have a high anti-knock value and permit using very high compression ratios.

Hope this helps, IHank

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