EDIT: Methanol by itself doesn't seem to do it, read later posts, seems to be some effect in combo with TC-W3 outboard oil in *small* quantities.
Hi folks,
Starting another thread on this because 1st thread title was less than obvious, and may or may not be what is happening. Original thread here...
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=7961
So here's the short version. I theorised that methanol may promote dehydrogenisation of ethanol in contact with catalytic metals and metal oxides in amounts equal or greater to 5% of the proportion of ethanol in the fuel. Which is 6.5oz per 10 Gallons for E10.
So I put 16.9oz, 500ml of "Methyl Hydrate" fondue fuel methanol in my last tank (15 gallons) and got an apparent gain of 6% higher than my previous best tank, 15% gain over average and 10%ish over highest other additive free tank. See gas log of 27/06/08. Gas in Ontario is meant to have a mandated 5% ethanol now, but that can be credit traded between companies, so actual percentage of ethanol in this test tank is unclear. I'm suspecting about 5%. I'm looking forward to trying a true E10, and I'm positively salivating at the prospect of E85 eventually becoming available locally.
So maybe in multipoint and sequential fuel injection systems, the catalytic activity of the metals in the intake port, where at low load, fuel sits and evaporates because it is sprayed before valve opening, when the ports are hot, is promoted sufficiently by addition of methanol to an ethanol containing fuel to make small quantities of hydrogen and an acetone like ketone. Or maybe it doesn't, but my mpg seems to have got a boost.
In theory this works when several conditions are met.
i) Low load, highway cruise etc. At higher loads injectors are spraying through an open valve, meaning very little ethanol wlll contact a surface that might catalyse anything
ii) SEFI or MPFI, fuel needs to sit in a hot intake port for this to begin to happen, this does not occur to a great enough extend on TBI or carbed cars.
iii) Ethanol in the fuel.
iv) Long enough trips to get the engine nice and hot, I hear engine note change at about 1/3 sweep of my temp gauge where hot weather running temp is around half sweep. Since I typically see about a quarter sweep in winter, then effects may fall off in cold weather unless steps are taken to keep heat in the engine (grille block etc)
It may be incompatible with...
i) acetone. Since acetone like ketones are produced and acetone ratios supposedly critical, it may not give any gain when used with acetone, But acetone is reported to give no gain in E10 anyway, so this shouldn't really be much of an issue.
ii) HHO, since a good HHO system, may be putting more H2 in the motor than this will, and gain of that might be hitting mechanical limits of engine, further gain with the amounts this produces may be unnoticable. With a 2 bolts in a jar or weak system you might see a gain still. Also dehydrogenation activity at the temperatures typical in an intake port is inhibited by prescence of water. At temperatures of 200 or 300 centigrade the steam will help, but a "wet" HHO system will likely not see gains from this. Also if the system is spitting or misting Lye/NaOH, baking soda or pottassium hydroxide into the intake, this may strip the protective oxides off aluminum alloys and allow methanol to attack them. So if your HHO is doubling your milage or better, expect nothing from this.
iii) Top end lubes, 2 stroke oil, torco etc... I suspect that these are particularly likely to coat your intake ports with a film that will prevent any ethanol/metal dehydrogenisation activity taking place.
Safety....
Methanol is a poison, be particular careful not to breathe the fumes, spill any on skin etc. Ethanol competitively inhibits methanol absorption in the body, so if you do accidentally soak yourself in it, wash it off and have a beer.
In engines, methanol is said to be harmless up to concentrations of 20oz per 10 gallons, per the makers of HEET methanol based gas line antifreeze.
Getting it...
Methanol is available as HEET gas line antifreeze which is 99% pure, also as "Methyl Hydrate" fondue or chafing stove fuel at many grocery stores, general merchandise stores, and dollar stores, it is dyed blue. In hardware and paint stores it's in the thinners section "Methyl Hydrate" for thinning shellac. These latter two are supposedly 99% pure according to biodiesel folks who use it for transesterification. Racing methanol is reportedly only 92% pure, windshield wash which some folks spray into their intakes is generally between 40% and 60% pure. Don't use either of these for this purpose as we are suspecting that water hinders the reaction.
Q: How come nobody noticed this before?
A: Maybe because winter FE, when methanol antifreezes are used, the gas mileage is in the pan anyway, and if you've got water contamination to cure the water inhibits it, and engines don't get hot enough in winter. If it's used in summer, again it's for likely water contamination.
Testing....
Dynoing this very likely won't show anything. This is because dyno runs are done at WOT. Short trips may not show anything, needs to be hot. Excessive EOCing may not show anything, needs to be hot. Fuel rate flow meters and injector duty cycle monitors should show drop in fuel usage at steady speed.
So, I'd prefer that this thread is reserved for testing, results and observations
of it's practical application and that the other thread linked at the top is used for theorising about how it might be working and the dehydrogenation process and technical discussion. Please post results here, and note what type of methanol was used, in what type of gas, and whether your motor has an iron head or an alloy head.
regards,
Road Warrior
Linear Mode
