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All Forums >> Glow Engines, Gas Engines, Fuel & Mfg Support Forums >> Glow Engines >> Alternative fuels for glow engines
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Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/28/2007 8:18:15 PM   
meowy84


 

Posts: 975
Joined: 10/7/2004
From: , IN, USA
Status: offline 		Anyone successfully try running a glow engine (both 2 and 4 stroke engines) with other than glow fuel? Can it be done? The reason I ask is that I saw a few posts on here in the past about using low nitro or no nitro at all as is necessary for some modellers that are not in the U.S. for example because of the extremely high cost of glow fuel (due to the nitro content I assume?) in some European and other countries. I mean even here in the U.S. where glow fuel usually runs at around $20/gallon (depending on nitro content/brand etc.) if you run a larger engine the cost still does add up pretty fast.
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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/28/2007 8:23:48 PM   
Sport_Pilot



Posts: 7828
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From: Acworth, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Yes you can run with no nitro, especially if you lower the compression ratio. The mixture settings will be toucher though. You could even go further than that to save money, you could mix your own fuel and use a mix of methanol, gas, and oil. there are some posts on this in the conversion forum.

< Message edited by Sport_Pilot -- 6/28/2007 8:24:18 PM >

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/28/2007 9:32:33 PM   
longdan



Posts: 510
Joined: 10/18/2006
From: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Status: offline 		This was on another thread about pollution caused by glow engines....

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/28/2007 10:24:51 PM   
carrellh



Posts: 3741
Joined: 3/30/2003
From: Garland, TX, USA
Status: offline 		The biggest majority of people who run no nitro are still running "glow fuel."
Glow fuel is:
Methanol
Oil
Nitromethane (totally optional and not required, but we like it)
Miscellaneous other additives and dyes (totally optional and not required)

A chemical reaction between the methanol and the metal in the glow plug element makes it glow after the battery is disconnected and keeps ignition going.

There may be other chemicals that would also make the plug glow, but the methanol is actually the least expensive part of the fuel.

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/28/2007 10:26:00 PM   
Ed Cregger


 

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From: Ringgold, GA, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sport_Pilot

Yes you can run with no nitro, especially if you lower the compression ratio. The mixture settings will be toucher though. You could even go further than that to save money, you could mix your own fuel and use a mix of methanol, gas, and oil. there are some posts on this in the conversion forum.




----------------


When going to no nitro fuel, you raise the compression ratio - not lower it.


Ed Cregger

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 12:19:43 AM   
greggles47


 

Posts: 51
Joined: 7/5/2006
From: Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: meowy84

Anyone successfully try running a glow engine (both 2 and 4 stroke engines) with other than glow fuel? Can it be done? The reason I ask is that I saw a few posts on here in the past about using low nitro or no nitro at all as is necessary for some modellers that are not in the U.S. for example because of the extremely high cost of glow fuel (due to the nitro content I assume?) in some European and other countries. I mean even here in the U.S. where glow fuel usually runs at around $20/gallon (depending on nitro content/brand etc.) if you run a larger engine the cost still does add up pretty fast.


There's a bit of experimental work going on in Oz that uses ethanol to replace methanol. Seems to be a goer. Better fuel economy, similar restarts, and much less expensive. Can still be used with or without nitro.
See B T/R Fuel discussion at the Barton site http://www.controlline.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2291&highlight=

Regards

Greg

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 1:19:33 AM   
Kweasel


 

Posts: 1102
Joined: 1/7/2004
From: fort worth, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Get a case of CoolPower oil from a gokart shop and buy methanol from someone who has a lot of it. Its not hard to get the price down to $6-$7/gal depending on how much oil is in the mix.

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 2:25:50 AM   
Ed Cregger


 

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From: Ringgold, GA, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Kweasel

Get a case of CoolPower oil from a gokart shop and buy methanol from someone who has a lot of it. Its not hard to get the price down to $6-$7/gal depending on how much oil is in the mix.



-------------------


Good approach.

As anyone living in America probably knows, ethyl alcohol is controlled and taxed by the federal government with a vengeance.

Me, I'll just stick with good old methanol or gasoline/oil.


Ed Cregger


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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 2:49:21 AM   
AMB


 

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Status: offline 		Ed denatured ethanol ( non drinkable) is available and is not taxed used in alcohol stoves and dish warmers. an other thought mole of methanol 1 carbon, ethanol 2 carbons
isopropyl alcohol 5 carbons it would appear many more BTUs per unit in isopropyl but would it work as glow fuel?? martin

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 3:10:31 AM   
longdan



Posts: 510
Joined: 10/18/2006
From: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Status: offline 		doesn't matter how many carbons are in the molecule - youve still got to get the oxygens in to the cylinder to react with them.

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 3:21:22 AM   
XJet


 

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From: Tokoroa, NEW ZEALAND
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quote:

ORIGINAL: dieseldan
Ed denatured ethanol ( non drinkable) is available and is not taxed used in alcohol stoves and dish warmers. an other thought mole of methanol 1 carbon, ethanol 2 carbons
isopropyl alcohol 5 carbons it would appear many more BTUs per unit in isopropyl but would it work as glow fuel?? martin

Denatured alcohol (sometimes called methylated spirit) is often very "wet" -- ie: it has a high water content when compared to methanol. This water content can cause real problems.

However, if you can get guaranteed "dry" denatured alcohol it'd be worth a try.


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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 1:57:14 PM   
Gringo Flyer



Posts: 2248
Joined: 1/16/2004
From: Formosa, ARGENTINA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: meowy84

Anyone successfully try running a glow engine (both 2 and 4 stroke engines) with other than glow fuel? Can it be done? The reason I ask is that I saw a few posts on here in the past about using low nitro or no nitro at all as is necessary for some modellers that are not in the U.S. for example because of the extremely high cost of glow fuel (due to the nitro content I assume?) in some European and other countries. I mean even here in the U.S. where glow fuel usually runs at around $20/gallon (depending on nitro content/brand etc.) if you run a larger engine the cost still does add up pretty fast.


It depends on your engine as well. I run all 5% nitro bc of the high cost of nitro here. 5% runs in the $18 range. I think 15% is somewhere around $33.

Your everyday sport engines like Super Tigre, Magnum, etc are perfectly happy on 5%. In fact running lower nitro and not trying to squeeze every last rpm out of your engine can actually extend its useful life. All of my engines (super tigre, magnum, thunder tiger and royal ranging in size from .25 to .90, 4 stroke and 2 stroke) run fantastic on the low nitro.

I would love to get a YS 110 but wont as long as I am in Argentina bc to get the high nitro that engine needs I would probably be paying in the ballpark of $50 a gallon... OUCH!



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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 2:18:04 PM   
Sport_Pilot



Posts: 7828
Joined: 1/21/2002
From: Acworth, GA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: XJet

quote:

ORIGINAL: dieseldan
Ed denatured ethanol ( non drinkable) is available and is not taxed used in alcohol stoves and dish warmers. an other thought mole of methanol 1 carbon, ethanol 2 carbons
isopropyl alcohol 5 carbons it would appear many more BTUs per unit in isopropyl but would it work as glow fuel?? martin

Denatured alcohol (sometimes called methylated spirit) is often very "wet" -- ie: it has a high water content when compared to methanol. This water content can cause real problems.

However, if you can get guaranteed "dry" denatured alcohol it'd be worth a try.




Ethanol, isopropyl, and denatured alcohol are more expensive than methanol. In fact methanol is only slightly more expensive than gasoline. I can't see any advantage in running these alcohols in its place, there isn't even much change in efficiency. If you want to save money then you should be looking at running some gasoline in the mix. It costs less and because it runs leaner and hotter, thus more efficient, you use less fuel.

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 4:45:33 PM   
Cobra1



Posts: 429
Joined: 2/15/2002
From: Monrovia, MD, USA
Status: offline 		You can convert most engines to run as a diesel - just a thought.

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RE: Alternative fuels for glow engines - 6/29/2007 5:33:33 PM   
davewallace


 

Posts: 1402
Joined: 1/15/2005
From: San Antonio, TX, USA
Status: offline 		y84,
You can run glow engines on a mix of gas, methanol and oil. You will need to use the same oil content and install a Walbro type gas carb for best performance. Use a hot 4C plug for reliable idle. Spark ignition can be add also if desired. CH Ignitions has kits and parts fot the large Super Tiger engines. This is best done on the large engines where ful savings are greater and required oil content is lower. Here is the gas/glow link. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1267448/tm.htm

Dave

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