From Freedom-motors' FAQ on their rotary engine. I'm intrigued, especially about the last sentence...
>How can you expect an increase in power by adding water to diesel fuel?
>Answer: Adding water results in further cooling of the incoming charge. The addition of water to diesel, gasoline or alcohol primarily benefits the engine by increasing volumetric efficiency by 20 to 25%. In the case of diesel, water also reduces the tendency to detonate and significantly lowers NOX emissions. California is making an 80% diesel 20% water fuel available at commercial filling stations.
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I remember that Tomorrow's World with William Woolard featured this 25 years ago or so. Some ulrasonic device mixed the fuel/water into an emulsion before injecting it.
I presume there must have been problems if it has taken until now to get to the market.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Water injection is not uncommon though in this application water is not mixed with the fuel rather injected into the inlet tract. The benefits being that damp air is denser so more can be crammed in, either atmospherically of via forced induction, also water inhibits pre ignition having the effect, in petrol terms, of a higher RON fuel. Electronically managed cars with a knock sensors can benefit from this by optimising the ignition/injector timing and thus improving the engines efficiency.
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Yup, water injection is not new it was used in aero engines in WW2 to delay the onset of detonation, some times mixed with acohol to stop it freezing.
Jim
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I've heard of water injection before but only on modified turbo petrol engines, such as current WRC rally cars. Useful in places with high ambient air temperatures.
Ive only heard about it as a mist injected into the inlet tract, not pre-mixed with the fuel. Adding 20% water to diesel fuel sounds like a lot?!
I was talking to a mate about it a while ago, this site has some FAQ.:
www.turbodynamics.co.uk/water.htm
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Going 'through the gate' wasn't it? Also helped stop it blowing, but you could only do it for a few minutes if I remember rightly...
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I find a water/alcohol mix stops me freezing at this time of year;)
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Water injection has been used as a power boosting techniques in aircraft engines as far back as the 1950s and is also used to improve the performance of gas turbines in hot climates. The usual method is to provide a very fine spray into the intake. The water evaporates, drawing the latent heat of evaporation from the air and so cooling it. The cooled air has greater density, so the mass throughput of the engine is increased, allowing for a greater power output. The water spray can also be used as an intercooling technique for supercharged or turbocharged engines.
The water is rarely mixed with the fuel as this has obvious drawbacks in terms of settlement and separation in storage. However, if finely dispersed fuel/water mix can be achieved then similar benefits will accrue, as the water evaporates in the inlet tract. I imagine achieving such a mixture was the intention of the ultrasonic device mentioned.
Directly injecting a fuel/ water mix (eg into a diesel) does have benefits, but operates differently to the above. Provided the water is present in extremely small particles, the onset of combustion produces instantaneous boiling of the water particles. This disrupts the fuel, improves dispersion and turbulence so assisting combustion. There is a small reduction in peak combustion temperature, which potentially allows higher compression ratios.
JS
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Can you remember Gunnermans A21 fuel or something like this, it was sponsored and patented by Caterpillar heavy diesels. Then it (the subsiduary) went bust and was quietly closed. he also used nickel catalysts on the spark plugs, and a secret additive that kept the diesel and water in emulsion.
I was very interested at the time.
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Check out sky sports and tractor pulling. Those high power mosters inject water spray in the inlets.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Thank you for all the comments and links. What intrigues me is the apparent availability of a fuel with the water already added (a bit like supermarket chicken). I'm surprised it can be made sufficiently stable not to separate in storage...
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It mixed nicely as 'Mayonaise' in the rocker cover of my 'A' series, never tried running it on the stuff though, though it did go well in fog....
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The do say that one of the symptoms of HGF is that the car runs better and more economically (until the engine gives up the ghost!). Reason? - water in the fuel charge.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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