Topic: Higher octane fuels coming?

[Sly Bob]

The following article appeared in the April 14th edition of the Automotive News. Could be great news for those trying to squeeze out a few more ponies.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20140414/OEM06/304149983/detroit-3-high-octane-has-pluses

Detroit 3:
High octane
has pluses

Richard Truett
rtruett@crain.com

DETROIT — Automakers could increase fuel economy as much as 5 percent if the United States used the same blend of high-octane gasoline that is sold in Europe, Detroit 3 powertrain chiefs say.
With high-octane gasoline, automakers could fine-tune existing engines to boost fuel economy and reduce engine sizes on future engines without sacrificing power. The powertrain chiefs spoke here last week at a panel discussion sponsored by SAE International.
Octane is a hydrocarbon that delays detonation of fuel in the cylinder as pressure increases. So high- octane fuels permit powerful and efficient high-compression engines. Premature detonation causes engine knock or pinging.
Octane also has been popularized as a rating. Premium gasoline in Europe is equal to about 98 octane in the United States. Premium fuel in the United States is 93 octane.
“It’s a common-sense thing for me,” said Bob Fascetti, Ford Motor Co.’s vice president of powertrain engineering. “We can put in higher compression ratios, and we won’t be [engine-] knock-limited on the fuel that’s available.”
Bob Lee, Chrysler Group’s head of powertrain, says a fuel shared with Europe also would allow automakers to design similar engines for Europe and the United States, which would cut costs.
Some consumers would object to paying more for high-octane fuel. And in the past, the oil industry has resisted some investments to im- prove fuel quality, such as removing most of the sulfur.
Carlton Carroll, spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry trade organization, says, “America’s refining industry delivers the fuels that consumers demand.”
Steve Kiefer, who joined General Motors last fall as vice president of global powertrain operations, agreed with Fascetti and Lee. This year, GM is launching a family of three- and four-cylinder Ecotec engines, many of which would benefit from higher-octane fuel.
Says Kiefer: “You can’t deny the physics.”

[JoshMcMadMac]

I thought the European octane rating was higher than the US because they base it off of RON instead of AKI...so really the 98 octane in Europe is pretty much the same as the 93 octane in the US? That article pretty much states the opposite.

[TomatoSoup]

From Wikipedia...

Anti-Knock Index (AKI)

In most countries, including Australia, New Zealand and all of those in Europe,[citation needed] the "headline" octane rating shown on the pump is the RON, but in Canada, the United States, Brazil, and some other countries, the headline number is the average of the RON and the MON, called the Anti-Knock Index (AKI, and often written on pumps as (R+M)/2). It may also sometimes be called the Pump Octane Number (PON).

Difference between RON and AKI

Because of the 8 to 10 point difference noted above, the octane rating shown in Canada and the United States is 4 to 5 points lower than the rating shown elsewhere in the world for the same fuel. This difference is known as the fuel's sensitivity,[4] and is not typically published for those countries that use the Anti-Knock Index labelling system.

Given that, 'our' 93 octane should be about 97-98 octane as measured in the UK for example, where the 4-star gas there is rated 98.

Thus pretty much equivalent.

[Critterman]

Calling Doctor Spin, we have a code blue

[Gentleman Jack]

Calling Doctor Spin, we have a code blue

And the wheels on the bus go round and round.....

[Sol Asylum]

 I know Mr. Truett from a Triumph forum that I also am a member of and based off that experience I don't believe much of what he has to say.

Octane is a hydrocarbon?  Really?  They used to add lead to gas to increase the octane rating, last I checked lead wasn't a hydrocarbon.

[TomatoSoup]

Octane is a hydrocarbon?  Really?  They used to add lead to gas to increase the octane rating, last I checked lead wasn't a hydrocarbon.

Far be it from me to correct anyone (ahem) but they used to add tetraethyl lead to gas to increase 'octane' (as well as provide lubrication effects - actually anti-weld effects).
Tetraethyl lead is an organic compound [(CH3CH2)4Pb] and so, yes, it IS a hydrocarbon.

[wspohn]

Octane is a hydrocarbon?  Really?  They used to add lead to gas to increase the octane rating, last I checked lead wasn't a hydrocarbon.

Actually, octane IS a hydrocarbon, just as methane (1 carbon), ethane (2 carbons), propane (3 carbons), butane (4 carbons), pentane (5 carbons), hexane (6 carbons), heptane (7 carbons), nonane (9 carbons), and decane (10 carbons) (etc.) are.

Octane rating is different - they use isooctane as a standard to compare other hydrocarbon mixes to in order to assign relative ratings.   Two different uses for the word.

[Sol Asylum]

I stand corrected.  It's been a little while since I took organic chemistry....

[wspohn]

I stand corrected.  It's been a little while since I took organic chemistry....

Me too - I have that degree hanging over my desk and it tells me I am really old - dated 1976!

[Critterman]

My head is spinning and I think I just passed a hydrocarbon, at least it smelled like one

[Sol Asylum]

Is that like passing a kidney stone?

[elff]

Time for my famous Geek Joke.


So these 2 atoms are having drinks at a bar

The one atom says to the other atom
"I think I just lost an electron"

The second atom says,
"are you sure?"

The first atom says
"Yea, Im Positive"

 

[wspohn]

If you want car and chemistry jokes.....

[TomatoSoup]

Quotes from wspohn:

"Dammit Jim, I'm a lawyer not a chemist"

-or-

"Dammit Jim, I'm a lawyer not a comedian"