[Gmecm] ethanol

[Tom Prucha]

You shouldn't need one if you plan to run pure Ethanol and you're sure 
of the consistency, unless you want to switch back-and-forth between 
Ethanol and Gasoline.

An alcohol content sensor is a.k.a. FFV sensor, a.k.a. fuel composition 
sensor. Here is some public information I found on a Siemens Sensor, but 
it look like to you'll need to contact Siemens for more information:

http://www.siemensvdo.com/default.aspx?menu=PT_sensor_for_fuel

This link also has some content about the sensors in a section called 
"FFV sensors".  One of the manufacturers shown there might have more 
information available online:

http://www.spie.org/app/Publications/magazines/oerarchive/january/goniometric.html

I didn't find as much public information as I expected on the 
composition sensors, but then I didn't look very hard. To run one of 
these, it seems the ECM will need an extra input, and some software to 
read it, and be able to change the calibration on-the-fly as a function 
of the reading.  I don't plan to run one, but I do plan to run a 
wide-band O2 and watch for anomalies after I fill the tank.

Tom

Kelly Parker wrote:

>
>> E85 is also not very well regulated for content.  It is usually 
>> somewhere between 70 and 85% Ethanol.  The rest is gasoline and up to 
>> 1% water.  This makes it difficult to calibrate without an alcohol 
>> content sensor, such as the new FFV's have, even when a permanent 
>> switch from gasoline to E85 is performed.
>
>
> I'm curious because I have plans to make my own alcohol. I've looked 
> into it pretty extensively.
> Getting a permit to do it is free (for small scale) and fairly simple 
> especially if you live on a farm. :-)
> So I would be very "in tune" with the quality of the fuel.
>
> How 'bout this alcohol content sensor?
> I've never heard of them.
> Got any inside info on them? (I mean literally inside....how they work)
> perhaps some sort of electronic specific gravity meter??????
>
>
> Kelly
>
>
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