WATER INJECTION...(was Holden...etc.)

[Danny Barrett]

Well, I wouldn't say it woould give 20% better fuel economy - as I said
before, there were a few other factors, but it could have possibly (maybe,
maybe not) been as much as 5% or 6%, as out of the blue (usually once every
2 years) I get about 30 to 32 MPG on one run - just to give me a glimmer of
hope for better mileage.

Please read some of the stuff that has gone on since the email that you were
quoting from. My idea that water remains a liquid even at TDC has been shown
to be incorrect. However, this may work to our advantage (provided the
maximum steam partial pressure is not before TDC), as it will start to
"push" earlier than re-vaporising steam would (as it is already steam).
Please see one of my previous emails (replying to Zack) for mmore info - I
don't want to repeat it, as it is long winded...

Danny Barrett.


>You're more of an expert than I am.  You, at least, have tried it.  The
>motto at Lawrence Technological University (my Alma Mater) is "Theory and
>Practice".
>
>Anyhow, I'm all for increasing the economy of my engine.  I drive a 1989
>Jeep Grand Wagoneer powered by a 360 CID V8 (AMC, not Chrysler).  It
>drinks fuel, so a 20% increase like you have experienced would be well
>worthwhile.
>
>I have already screpped the carburater and added Holley Pro-Jection.  I
>am working on modifying the ignition system so that I can use the spark
>control that is available with the Holley box.  After that, I'll add a
>knock sensor.  My next scheme will be to build one of those wide-range O2
>sensors and feed the signal into the ECM in place of the origional O2
>sensor.  I can then modify the table that allows you to choose the O2
>voltage that feedback system tries to track.  That way, I can program it
>to run way lean during cruise and rich at low vacuum.
>
>This water injection idea is interesting, and looks promising.  If the
>ideal injected amount is proportional to the amount of fuel injected, I
>can simply use the injecter signal.  If it also depends on the manifold
>absolute pressure, I will need to take that into account.
>
>If steam is injected and it does, in fact, recondense at TDC, that heat
>will be given up there and will increase the temperature of the
>compressed air/fuel mixture.  Once the mixture ignites and the piston
>starts to drop, the heat will be reabsorbed as the liquid droplets flash
>into steam.  Now, it's beginning to look like something that recycles
>waste heat from the exhaust.  That sounds way out there, so I'll have to
>give it some thought.
>
>Back to practice vs. theory.  The experimental data seems to indicate
>increased efficiency when the proper amount of water is injected.  We
>need to come up with a plausable theory to explain it.  Also, we need to
>reproduce the results of the experiment.
>
>My origional thought on using water injection was to increase the
>compression enough to need higher octane gas, and to use the water
>injection as an antiknock agent.  That way, I could run high compression
>with cheap gas.  Water would, in that case, only need to be injected when
>the throttle is opened wide.
>
>By the way, please don't get the idea that all of my mods are strictly
>for better fuel economy.  I could buy a LOT of fuel with the money that I
>have sunk into that vehicle.  What I really like (don't tell my wife) is
>the extra power and drivability.  If all I wanted was better economy, I
>would stick a six-banger in it.
>
>Ray Drouillard
>
>
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