Engine on alcohol: description, device, principle of operation, pros and cons, photo

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many people should be reproached with the inertia of the mind, which prevents them from seeing new possibilities and the application of ordinary things. For example, the engine on alcohol. Let not the best solution among all possible, but quite working. Moreover, there are a large number of embodiments. There is spirit gasoline. But not only him. Let's talk about everything in order.

Introduction

When talking about an alcohol-fueled engine, they usually mean a situation where 5-10% of a technical or wine substance is added. If in the end it turned out to be less than 30% of gasoline, then it is better to remove this word from the name. For calling fuel that when there is little of such fuel in it is wrong.

It is worth mentioning the designation separately. For this, the letter E and a number are used. The latter indicates the percentage of alcohol. That is, the finished substance can be designated as E5, E10, E20, E30, and so on. It should be noted that this designation is not used everywhere. Sometimesmay add the letter E to the designation of gasoline. For example - A-95E. It is not an ordinary and familiar fuel. This marking indicates that you have to deal with alcohol-containing fuel, in which the octane number is equal to the 95th gasoline.

Refilling the engine with alcohol has its advantages and disadvantages. Only after familiarizing yourself with them, you can decide whether it makes sense to use such fuel or not. It should be noted that the conversion of a gasoline engine to alcohol is not required. Of course, you can’t do without some preparation, but you need to do much less than it might seem at first glance. But let's talk about everything in order.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

The alcohol-powered engine, although it attracts with its strengths, also has a number of limitations in use. Let's look at this in more detail. There are such advantages:

• Low price. Alcohol fuel costs 5-15% less than its oil counterpart.
• Less pollution compared to gasoline.
• The engine can operate at sufficiently low temperatures, which has a positive effect on its wear.
• Reduces the chance of a fire in a severe accident.
• When driving in hot weather, it is easier to keep the engine cool.
• Prolongs the life of your engine oil so you can drive more distance without needing an oil change.
• This fuel has a milder smell.
• The engine generates while drivingless noise.

But there are always disadvantages to consider. They in this case are as follows:

• It is not recommended to use this type of fuel in older vehicles. This is due to the fact that their fuel systems are not designed for the use of gasoline, in which technical alcohol is added.
• Fuel consumption is rising slightly.
• It is necessary to provide special conditions for the transportation and storage of fuel. Otherwise, its quality will deteriorate significantly.
• Cannot be used in carbureted vehicles. This increases fuel consumption and corrodes rubber and plastic parts.
• Filling stations of this type are not common in the CIS, so there are problems with replenishing fuel.
• Worse starting a car in the winter season.
• Increased warm-up time at sub-zero temperatures.
• Alcohol-fueled vehicles are more expensive.
• Having a lot of bad reviews from people who have de alt with alcohol engines.
• As the percentage of alcohol in the fuel increases, driving performance of cars deteriorates.

A few more cons

Among the negative points we should remember the following:

• When driving in hot weather, the car may noticeably lose power.
• Water may form in low-quality fuel. And in this case, the internal combustion engine on alcohol can go wrong and fail.
• Engine may slow down, stall, notstart up for no apparent reason.
• Fuel system often clogged.
• Fuel hoses may burst (relevant for prolonged use on older cars).
• Some manufacturers provide fuel of unsatisfactory quality (however, this can also be said about regular gasoline).
• You need to upgrade your system to use alcohol products. This includes adjusting the fuel pump, as well as replacing parts that are susceptible to corrosion.

Summing up, it should be said that before pouring such a substance, you need to think carefully about whether it is worth doing. For old cars (2010 and beyond) and carbureted cars, it is contraindicated. Otherwise, use such fuel at your own risk. If that doesn't scare you, then an alcohol-powered engine is a very real thing.

What to eat now?

Disputes about the use of this fuel do not subside. But nevertheless, at gas stations, you can increasingly find cheap fuels that are positioned as the development of a new generation. Commercially sold products are a mixture of anhydrous ethyl alcohol (from 30% of the total volume), light fractions of hydrocarbons, ethers, gasolines, stabilizers and additives. The latter are necessary in order to prevent corrosion and preserve the rubber parts of the engine and fuel system.

Ethanol-powered engine allows you to spend less money on refueling. Given the emerging trend incontent of biocomponents, it is quite possible to assume that soon such fuel will be more common. But there are some nuances here. So, one car will be able to continue operating normally without certain changes, while a similar car, released a year earlier, will stall and slow down. Therefore, it is necessary for each person to make a decision on the advisability of using such fuel on their own.

Recommended not to refuel at small gas stations, if there is no confidence in them. After all, very often the quality of their fuel is somewhat worse, which can lead to serious damage. Therefore, despite all its advantages, numerous disadvantages do not allow a complete switch to the use of alcohol-based fuel. Although this engine is gradually gaining popularity.

And what about the world practice?

If you travel in the US and Western Europe, you will notice that there is widespread use of bioethanol. The most popular low-content fuel, referred to as E5, E7, E10. Theoretically, it can be poured into any new car. If the number is greater than ten, then it is desirable to clarify whether the automaker allows the use of biofuels. In Brazil, the USA and some countries of the European Union, they even sell E85. As you might guess, this fuel contains 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

But it's not so simple here. This system is relatively new, so the engine on ethyl alcohol in some cases should be saved. Why? The fact is thatthere may be certain deviations from the set number. So, for E5 (7, 10, 15, 20, 25) this is not allowed. But if the inscription says that the fuel is E30, then the percentage can fluctuate in the range of 30-40. For E60 it is 50-60. And under E85 they understand 70-85. And if, for example, A-95E is found, then it will not be superfluous to inquire about the percentage of such fuel. For the octane number is one thing, but the amount of alcohol per liter is completely different.

Additionally, other types of designation can be introduced. In this case, you should find out all the details. And not just limit yourself to asking the gas station workers again, but request a fuel quality certificate and make sure that it meets the established standards.

Answers to the questions "why?" and "why?"

The gasoline engine on alcohol originates from the zero years. The fact is that gasoline itself is a large source of artificial carcinogens. When bioethanol is added, it is enriched with oxygen and burns better. This reduces the amount of carbon monoxide emissions plus or minus by 30%. Given this situation, it was legally established in 2005 that gasoline should contain 2% alcohol. In 2010, this figure rose to 5%. And by 2020 it is planned to increase it to ten percent! Although there are certain concessions for the unadapted auto industry. That is, for old cars, the supply of gasoline without bioethanol is allowed. But at the same time, it is very important that it does not include water.

In practice, this result is difficult to achieve, so the standard states that it should be no more than 0.2% in bioethanol. For this affects the quality of fuel, and this problem is especially relevant in winter. It must be borne in mind that alcohol is an extremely hygroscopic substance. And this creates a certain danger. There is a theoretical risk that the mixture in the engine will separate into water-alcohol pellets and gasoline. As a result, you can observe excessive fuel consumption (after all, water does not generate energy), detonation, or the car may not start at all. The quality of the fuel should be carefully monitored, otherwise the alcohol saturated with water will quickly turn into ice.

A little about fuel

The operation of the engine on alcohol has its own characteristics. Very much attention in this whole scheme should be paid to the fuel used. Ethanol is an excellent solvent and oxidizing agent. Because of this, when it is present in gasoline in large quantities, gaskets and other plastic parts are damaged. To avoid this, stainless steel must be used.

In addition, if the car breaks down due to alcohol-containing gasoline, the stipulated sums insured may not be paid (or even the warranty itself will be cancelled). And again, we should not forget that such fuel is used in a slightly increased amount. And with the onset of cold weather, it is better to switch back to regular gasoline.

How to make an alcohol engine with your own hands?

In general, there may be options herelots of. In order not to climb into the wilds of creating our own designs, we will use the easiest way - the adaptation of an internal combustion engine. Two options are usually provided: partial or complete replacement of diesel fuel and gasoline. The first means bringing the proportion of alcohol to 20%. To obtain high anti-knock qualities, it is necessary to use forced (spark) ignition. It will also be useful to flush the fuel system and eliminate all contaminants in it. A significant advantage is that standard engines do not need to be modified in terms of design in order to be able to run on a gasoline-alcohol mixture.

So, for example, Avtovaz tested AI-95, which contained 10% ethanol without overshooting the engine. Interest was represented by toxicity, fuel consumption, vehicle dynamics. And in this case, it was found that the additive leads to a depletion of the air-fuel mixture, slightly impairs driving performance (in all operating modes). But 5% did not affect Avtovaz products. Therefore, if you don’t get carried away too much, you can safely create a working engine on alcohol.

What about the diesel?

This option is more difficult. It should be recognized that adapting a diesel engine to use alcohol-containing mixtures is not as easy as we would like. Why? The fact is that ethanol has a low cetane number. To improve the situation, an electronic ignition system is used, and the cylinder head is upgraded in order toto place them there. You may also need new high pressure fuel pumps, injectors, fuel supply system. It is possible that the geometric shape of the combustion chamber in the piston bottom will also have to be modified. It should be said that it works with little or no smoke.

The temperature also decreases, due to the fact that the heat of evaporation increases. Although there may be certain problems with some waste after work. SN deserves the most attention. But, however, it can be drastically reduced if you use the simplest oxidizer neutralizer. We should not forget about the increased fuel consumption. In addition, recycled diesel is characterized by increased smoke. So, as you can see, this is not an easy task. An alcohol engine for a car is a lot easier.

And what about small vehicles?

Motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and similar vehicles also deserve attention. Can a two-stroke engine run on alcohol for such a small vehicle? Yes, it's quite real. And not very difficult. Due to the design features and fundamental similarity to car engines, it is possible to make scooters, motorcycles and mopeds run on alcohol. And if someone thinks that after that there will be an unpleasant smell of alcohol - this is not true. You can make such changes, being well acquainted with the design of the vehicle, as well as having a full understanding of what needs to be done to switch tobiofuels.