ORIGINAL: Pat Roy
For those the addition of methanol/ethanol is a downgrade in octane level. If the ratio of ethanol in our gas contnues to increase I can see a day when the sales of specialized racing fuels is going to increase quite a bit if they aren't outlawed by then. Now that will be an expensive day.
Pat, welcome back!
Actually, ethanol has a higher resistance to autoignition than gasoline and thus has a higher octane rating (ROM+MON/2) of 116. Methanol is 113, and E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline) is 105.
RCPilet,
In general terms ethanol has less energy output per quantity than gasoline, but requires a richer mixture which CAN result in a slightly higher overall power output wit an increase in fuel burned. I experimented with E85 in a race car with some interesting results (allowed higher turbo or supercharger boost levels) but the efficiency was not a strength (mileage was lower).
Truckracer,
you are correct. The ironic thing about ethanol, at least in producing from corn, is manufacturing ethanol from corn is 30% less efficient than other methods (eg sugar cane) and also uses a great amount of water. Corn production (especially corn syrup) is a HUGE industry in the US. Also, gasoline manufacturers receive a US$0.51/gallon tax CREDIT (per gallon of gasoline produced) for using ethanol.
Brazil can produce ethanol for roughly US$0.80/gallon while ethanol produced from corn costs US$1.20/gallon. Why don't we import the cheaper ethanol from Brazil? There is a US$0.54/gallon TARIFF on the import of ethanol.
Why? Iowa grows corn and elects presidents...
Of course processing sugar cane requires burning the fields (burns leaves, kills snakes, fertilizes the ground, and "cokes" the sugar), so there is an increase in local air pollution.
It is a big screw job but I can't see any way to change it. I want to get in on the carbon credit trading scam too, make myself a billionaire and have more time to fly!
Brett
**edit** P.S. ZDZ requires higher octane fuel. The european instructions say 95 octane, which is 91 here in the US. DA recommends 87 ocho-tane.