Flexible Fuels

[jdzura at csc.com]

The newer Taurus SHO has a sensor that can tell how much alcohol is in the gas. I
read it in a service manual, but that's all I know.
HTH

Joe




vogt at oro.net on 06/23/98 03:16:53 AM

Please respond to diy_efi at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu

To:   diy_efi at esl.eng.ohio-state.edu
cc:    (bcc: Joe Dzura/SED/CSC)
Subject:  Flexible Fuels




Hi everyone, I am the proud owner of a Ford 429 that is going to get
some serious power added by means of a turbocharger.  I was wondering
about an EFI system that takes the octane adjustment feature of an ECU
to its next logical step, differing fuels.  I don't know if it would be
asking too much of current technology to have the computer be able to
adapt on its own to different kinds of fuels.  For example, straight
methanol would require at least twice the injector duration as gasoline,
and to burn it would probably require one of those fancy linear oxygen
sensors since alcohol likes to be run a bit on the rich side to keep
chamber temperatures down since although it is less suceptible to
detonation due to compression, it is more suceptible to pre-ignition.
I wonder if it would also be possible to run nitromethane while playing
around, and then switch back to gasoline for the drive home?
Also, will injectors put up with water, since both methanol and nitro
are sometimes mixed with up to 5% water in order to keep things nice and
cool.
And, since this motor will be used in a 4wd pickup (please don't tell me
I'm crazy, I already know that), will individual injectors give a big
boost in low (sub 1000) RPM torque, or will TBI be good enough.
And last, are there any computer systems out there that can control
boost pressure much like timing, to compensate for the knock sensitivity
of different fuels?
Thanks for answers to any of these.
Birken