|
NW Central Ohio | ....I dunno how many high compression engines you've assembled. But even full alcohol race engines (Methanol or Ethanol..the type is probably immaterial) seldom run at over 14-1. Part of the reason is the difficulty of producing a spark at high compression. I don't know if you've ever had your Briggs and Stratton lawn mower apart, and could see a spark at the plug when cranking...but it wouldn't fire when you put it back together. Reason is compression quenches spark...and on engines like full nitromethane top fuel dragsters...they have to double the spark plugs per cylinder...and after a certain engine speed and consequently boost pressure, the engine in effect becomes a "diesel", relying on compression ignition rather than spark. I'm not sure a Volkswagon engine could be operated in all temperatures with straight alcohol.....without extensive work on the fuel management system. It all sounds good....until you have to make it work on 3+million cars per year. I'm pretty certain the engineers at the Big 3 would be using it if it was viable. | |
|
|
Ethanol Diatribe III, ethanol infidels
