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Ethanol in fuel is such a complex issue:
This blending practise has a couple of significant issues that have not been completely resolved by vehicle manaufacturers and the fuel companies.
1. Ethanol is completely water miscible, Ethanol likes to find water and absorb it. That means that water can be easily transfered to the fuel system of your vehicle. It can cause performance issues, and most significantly corrosion. Normal fuel is generally considered not to be water miscible.
2. The boiling point of Ethanol is 78 Deg C, while the boiling point of a unleaded fuel, (no Ethanol Blend) is 190Deg at the same atm pressure. Guess which product stratifies and then evaporates first throught the carbon canister into your engine. What can also happen if you have left your vehicle still for some time is the the fuel can seprarate, the density of Ethanol is around 790kg/m3 while unleaded comes in around 730kg/m3. The Ethanol is trying to get to the bottom of the tank. It is possible that you could run your vehicle of high levels of Ethanol until the blend is remixed.
3. Ethanol fuels generally don't come from the refinery blended, therefore the blend is not subjected to the same high standard of batching and quality. It is generally blended as it goes in to the tanker or in to a holding tank. Hope the terminal manager is paying attention when he blends your next tank full of fuel. Of course they are checks at the terminal but not like at the refinery.
4. Forget using normal foam extiguishers on fuels containing ethanol, as little as 5% Ethanol can damage the foam blanket and prevent the extinguishment of the fire. Make sue your foam extinguisher is Polar Solvent compatable.
5.One wonders if the conversion of food to fuel is the solution when there are so many other fuel alternatives not being developed.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against Ethanol. I would like some of these issues sorted out prior to putting anything more than about 5% in my vehicle.
This blending practise has a couple of significant issues that have not been completely resolved by vehicle manaufacturers and the fuel companies.
1. Ethanol is completely water miscible, Ethanol likes to find water and absorb it. That means that water can be easily transfered to the fuel system of your vehicle. It can cause performance issues, and most significantly corrosion. Normal fuel is generally considered not to be water miscible.
2. The boiling point of Ethanol is 78 Deg C, while the boiling point of a unleaded fuel, (no Ethanol Blend) is 190Deg at the same atm pressure. Guess which product stratifies and then evaporates first throught the carbon canister into your engine. What can also happen if you have left your vehicle still for some time is the the fuel can seprarate, the density of Ethanol is around 790kg/m3 while unleaded comes in around 730kg/m3. The Ethanol is trying to get to the bottom of the tank. It is possible that you could run your vehicle of high levels of Ethanol until the blend is remixed.
3. Ethanol fuels generally don't come from the refinery blended, therefore the blend is not subjected to the same high standard of batching and quality. It is generally blended as it goes in to the tanker or in to a holding tank. Hope the terminal manager is paying attention when he blends your next tank full of fuel. Of course they are checks at the terminal but not like at the refinery.
4. Forget using normal foam extiguishers on fuels containing ethanol, as little as 5% Ethanol can damage the foam blanket and prevent the extinguishment of the fire. Make sue your foam extinguisher is Polar Solvent compatable.
5.One wonders if the conversion of food to fuel is the solution when there are so many other fuel alternatives not being developed.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against Ethanol. I would like some of these issues sorted out prior to putting anything more than about 5% in my vehicle.
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