water/temp/mileage

[Robert Harris]

Got new asbestos underwear, so try these thoughts on for size

Given:
  A:  The two major products of combustion are carbon dioxide and water
  B.  You make two gallons of water for every gallon of gasoline you burn
  C:  The partial pressure contributed by steam is much higher than that
        contributed by CO2 or N2 (the other major gas's present)
  D:  You have at least 65 to 70% of the heat released in combustion  
       available as EXCESS heat (i.e. not converted to mechanical energy) 
  E:  You want the means to precisely meter the fuel (or why would you
       be subscribing to this list) and any other engine things - like
adding
       water injection.
     
Contemplate
  A:  Since combustion makes vast quantities of steam where there was
       no water before, and steam has a good percentage of the partial
pressure
       perhaps it might have something to do with BMEP
  B:  Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) might have some vague
       relationship to power, torque, mechanical energy developed
  C:  If A and B has any truth, perhaps adding a little bit more water
might 
       make a little bit more contribution to BMEP by converting some
EXCESS 
       heat to some MORE steam.

Your Options:
   A:  Flame the author.  If it was not documented by some European dude 40
        years ago it must not work or can't be possible or can only work
the way the
        dead dude said prior to the onset of senility or technology.
   B:  Trash the idea, if you haven't heard about it being widely used it
ain't going
        to work anyway.
   C:  Ignore the physics and chemistry of the whole proposition and throw
out
        a whole bunch of ninny so theres and can't be's and apples to road
apples
        comparisons.
   D:  Calculate: Assuming 30 (damned good)  percent conversion chemical to
        mechanical energy

        70% Excess heat available.  Convert 10% of the EXCESS heat to 
        mechanical energy.  That means an addition 7% total conversion by 
        using a heat recovery mechanism.  Total engine conversion is now
37%
        a gain of 20 some percent in power from the same heat.

        Tell that to any racer, and before you can blink, the kids are sold
into
        slavery, wives off to  prostitution and grannies pushing a shopping

        cart - whatever it takes to put that to the pavement - specially
since 
        the difference between first and forget are often a single digit
percent
        of power.

   E:  If D intrigues you, quietly meter some water injection to the engine
of
        your choice.  Use your EFI fuel output value to get a baseline and
add
        some injected water (properly distributed and atomized) as a linear
        percentage of fuel.  Vary the percentage slowly upward until you
find
        out what your engine combination likes.  You know what a cool foggy
        day does for you.  Now everyday is a cool foggy day and then some.
        If it makes more power and economy - keep it a secret, because Mr  
                       thermodynamics and his Greek Chorus say it can't be
done  Just blow 
        their doors off and say "Pure F'ng Magic Dude.)  Who really care's
why 
        why it works, as long as it puts power to the pavement.  If Merlin
put a
        spell on a double a fuel dragster and it started winning, believe
me 
        every Ricky racer would be looking for a magician.  Remember
        Contempt before Investigation leads to a lot of lost opportunities.


-----     Cut here - personal comment follows -----

Q: What's the difference between Jane Fonda and Bill Clinton?
A: She had the balls to go to Viet Nam
  
Robert Harris <bob at bobthecomputerguy.com>


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