- Author
- Murphy, M. J.
- Title
- Flame Propagation Over Alcohol Fuels Spills.
- Coporate
- Battelle Columbus Labs., Columbus, OH
- Report
- WSS/CI 83-08
- Book or Conf
- Combustion Institute/Western States Section. Spring Meeting, 1983. April 11-12, 1983, Pasadena, CA, 28 p., 1983
- Keywords
- flame propagation
- Abstract
- Alcohols, especially methanol and ethanol, have properties that make them excellent fuels for spark ignition engines, in some ways even better fuels than gasoline. Alcohols have high octane ratings which make high compression ratios feasible, and their high latent heat helps increase volumetric efficiency and reduce compression work. However, this same high heat of vaporization as well as the lower vapor pressure of alcohols as compared with gasoline makes cold starting difficult. This difficulty can be reduced by the addition of a volatile hydrocarbon to the alcohol. Isopentane is one hydrocarbon being considered as an additive.