Automotive Fuels

Gasoline (C8H15)
Gasoline is refined from crude oil Performance characteristics of gasoline

Anti-knock quality Volatility Sulfur content Deposit control

Anti-knock Quality
Measured by the octane number
Research octane number (RON) Motor octane number (MON)

Unknown fuel is compared to a mixture of

isooctane and heptane
Isooctane has an octane number of 100 Heptane has an octane number of 0

If a mixture of 87% isooctane and 13% heptane is

burned in a test engine, and create the same knock intensity as the unknown fuel, the octane number of the unknown fuel is 87

RON vs. MON

MON and RON are determined at different preset rpm, and
air inlet temperature settings - The average of these two are what you see on the gas pump

MON RPM 900 Water 212 F Temperature Inlet air 300 F Temperature

RON 600 212 F

130.4 F

Factors Affecting Octane Requirements

Compression ratio

Ignition timing Air to fuel ratio Combustion temperature Inlet air temperature EGR rate (exhaust gas recirculation) Combustion chamber design Barometric pressure Ambient temperature Humidity Combustion chamber deposits

Cetane Number
Cetane is the rating system used for diesel Similar to the octane ratings of gasoline The higher the cetane number, the shorter
the lag time between fuel injection and ignition The higher the cetane number the quicker and more easily the diesel fuel burns

Volatility
Volatility describes how easily various fuels
will evaporate Measured by Reid vapor pressure The higher the RVP the more volatile the fuel, which means it will vaporize more easily

Reid Vapor Pressure

0 0

Fuel A 70 F 100 F Water

Fuel B 70 F

Reid Vapor Pressure

5 7

Fuel A 100 F 100 F Water

Fuel B 100 F

Volatility
During the summer fuel manufacturers
blend fuels with lower RVP This prevents problems such as vapor lock During the winter fuel manufacturers blend fuels with higher RVP This aids in cold startup

Gasoline Additives

Tetraethyl lead Alcohol Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) Ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) Tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) Deposit control additives

Tetraethyl Lead
Used to lubricate valve stems And upper cylinder walls Restricted in 1973 and completely phased out in
1996 Still used in aviation and some racing applications Used in some foreign countries Coats the surface of catalytic converters and renders them inoperative

Alcohol

Used as an oxygenator Used to reduce CO emissions Absorbs moisture (hydroscopic) Increases the octane rating

Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE)

Increases octane by 2.5 to 3.0 Used as an oxygenator to reduce CO
emissions Will not affect RVP Carcinogen Studies have shown groundwater containing excessive amounts of MTBE in areas using it as a fuel additive

Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE)

Increases octane number up to 3 points Lowers RVP

Tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME)

Performance similar to ETBE

Deposit Control Additives

Required in gasoline year round as of 1995 Used to control deposits on or in:
Port fuel injectors Intake valves Combustion chambers