Octane Booster.........
#21
Well octane boosters usually have something like tolulene, methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether or MTBE, and similar substances. This area, like practically every effing thing on the planet relating to anything and everything, is not a free deal. There is a tradeoff for everything.
I do not have a good chem book handy, however, generally, the higher the resistance to pre-ignition/detonation a fuel has, the lower the energy output given per unit of fuel burned.
So: higher octane=lower energy output (read less heat generated by burning it)=less expansion of the air-fuel mixture as a result of burning=less force pushing on the piston=less power at the wheels.
Why would you use higher octane then?
If you have a compression ratio in the engine that can squeeze the air-fuel mixture enough to cause the mixture to self-ignite (detonate/preignite) then added octane will benefit, as the extra power generated by the additional compression will be greater than the power loss due to the higher octane fuel being burned.
Mike
I do not have a good chem book handy, however, generally, the higher the resistance to pre-ignition/detonation a fuel has, the lower the energy output given per unit of fuel burned.
So: higher octane=lower energy output (read less heat generated by burning it)=less expansion of the air-fuel mixture as a result of burning=less force pushing on the piston=less power at the wheels.
Why would you use higher octane then?
If you have a compression ratio in the engine that can squeeze the air-fuel mixture enough to cause the mixture to self-ignite (detonate/preignite) then added octane will benefit, as the extra power generated by the additional compression will be greater than the power loss due to the higher octane fuel being burned.
Mike
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