Bioethanol-fuelled motorsports

[iflchris]

Ideasforlife.tv have produced a video about the bioethanol-fuelled car developed at Coventry University that's taking part in the Locost Championship. The video is here - http://www.ideasforlife.tv/watch/124

[graham bahr]

interesting but its actually no big deal to run on bioethonal, you just need more fuel and more advanced ignition timing

[R59]

A bit more compression also helps.
And a bigger duration cam helps to cram some more in too.

All in all, more power is possible at the expense of fuel consumption.

And it's "green".

[Daniel Pinnegar]

I thought that bio-ethanol fuels are damaging the food crops in third world countries etc. How can this be green if it's ultimately damaging the enviroment??

[R59]

You've been listening to the petro-chemical companies again!

In europe, biofuel production is done using crops grown on marginal, or "out of production" land (thanks to EU farming regulations). There is a growing "buy" of other wheat/barley, which is increasing the world market price of grain to something like profitable.

In South America, farming has long been accused of destroying the environment through de-forestation for agriculture. They don't have oil, so they've made bio-ethanol for years.

With new techniques, they can use the straw from wheat/barley, grass clippings, other plant "waste". Then there's another new technology known as Thermal Depolymerisation (not 100% sure of the spelling) which takes waste of all sorts and converts it into useful parts.

There's bio-gas production, which takes regular waste and creates Methane. That means ALL regular waste - solid and liquid!! The Scandanavians are years ahead of us, because their government is interested in it, rather than interested in taxation like our lot.

Third world countries have their own issues, mostly caused by war, disputes, and corruption, or just plain despotism (Zimbabwe). They have nothing to do with bio-fuels. They have more to do with politics.

[AU N EGL]

IMO Biofuels do have their place in the world. In countries where there is huge amounts of waist ( land fills) and lack of petrolium.

Biofuels will be an important part of the energy to fuel process, just not for everyone in every place.

[graham bahr]

A bit more compression also helps.

yes your right, whilst you dont need more compression to run bio, more compression does make the most of the fuel, although that would then render the engine bio only as opposed to dual fuel capable if you didnt raise the compression.

apparently its common in sweden for people fuel injected cars to just fit an adjusatable fuel pressure regulator and crank up the fuel pressure to run bio and not even touch the ignition timing or mapping let alone the compression, although clearly they wont be getting the best out of the fuel like that,

so on a carbed engine you can achive similar by just going up a few jet sizes

[AU N EGL]

Bio-fuels under attack as world food prices soar:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080420...climatewarming

[R59]

Originally Posted by graham bahr

apparently its common in sweden for people fuel injected cars to just fit an adjusatable fuel pressure regulator and crank up the fuel pressure to run bio and not even touch the ignition timing or mapping let alone the compression, although clearly they wont be getting the best out of the fuel like that,

For those that don't know, GM (probably Bosch!) produce a clever ethanol sensor, which allows the ECU to adapt the map to the fuel in the tank/fuel line.

Clever little Chevy Suburban......

They should fit them as standard to all of their models, then it doesn't matter what you put in the tank!

Rob.

[graham bahr]

For those that don't know, GM (probably Bosch!) produce a clever ethanol sensor, which allows the ECU to adapt the map to the fuel in the tank/fuel line.

apparently it meassues the electrical resistance of the fuel,

not suprisngly its also found on some saabs

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by R59

For those that don't know, GM (probably Bosch!) produce a clever ethanol sensor, which allows the ECU to adapt the map to the fuel in the tank/fuel line.

Clever little Chevy Suburban......

They should fit them as standard to all of their models, then it doesn't matter what you put in the tank!

Rob.

Yes it is Bosch and the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe are not small, but big SUVs.

Need a V8 to run this sensor and have flex-fuel capable. GM is working on a sesnor for smaller V6s and I4s

[R59]

GM already have them - they fit them to their European models made by Saab.

There are kits available on the market too.

http://www.greenfuels.co.uk/conversion_kits.htm for more info.

And yes, I know that the Suburban isn't small..... well it is compared to a Peterbilt (only just though!)