It may surprise you to learn that high octane gasoline is harder to ignite than lower octane. Think about it. High performance engines have higher compression. The trick is to have the fuel/air charge intact approaching a few degrees before top dead center of the compression stroke, where it is ignited by an electrical spark. Low octane gasoline ignites well before it should as the heat of compression builds during the compression stroke. The early firing/explosion or misfiring is called pre ignition, engine ping or detonation and it will ruin the engine if you really flog it! Diesel doesn't have an octane rating, it would be very high if it did. Diesel, like jet fuel, is hard to ignite but once lit, puts out far more BTU's than gasoline.
Just in case you ever wondered about such things.
Posted by charlie (Member # 25) on :
...I dunno about the octane but didja know that you can cook coal or charcoal with limestone and get calcium carbide.
If you toss calcium carbide into water you get acetylene which is plenty volatile enough to run motors, heat houses ect.
nobody seems interested in this, wonder why?? might be it's not patentable, taxable or easy to regulate. I think there is plenty of limestone and carboniferous stuff around.
???
Charlie
Posted by LabRat (Member # 78) on :
Not many carbide lanterns left! A leaky roof in the store room, would be exciting!
Posted by LabRat (Member # 78) on :
You know, sometimes I feel older than I think I am. Born only 30 years after the big unexplained explosion in Russia, raised with carbide lights, matured during air and space flight and now it looks like we're on the verge of anti gravity devices. It's an interesting time to be alive!
Posted by Softballmom (Member # 6235) on :
What do men have in common with Low octane gasoline?
Oh wait I am on the wrong thread!
Posted by LabRat (Member # 78) on :
I re-read my post and almost set off my pacemaker laughing so hard!
Posted by Softballmom (Member # 6235) on :
Oh Labrat, you walked right into that One. I almost fell out of my chair lauphing.
Posted by meg (Member # 22) on :
We actually had diesel in a truck we were riding in FREEZE---ever heard of diesel freezing? Good thing we were not too far from home.
Now they put an additive in it here....we weren't the only ones to have that problem that winter.
