Fuel Savings in Hard Times (Update)

Related Articles

---

Truth About Acetone and Ethanol

---

Update 2008-08-18: I spent a couple of hours on my Tahoe this weekend. First I changed the plugs and wires. I bought standard parts... nothing special. Then I put six ounces of Seafoam in the crankcase and pulled six ounces into the throttle body via the brake booster. I let the latter set for five or ten minutes and then started the Tahoe up. It smoked for five or so minutes as it burned through the engine. Then I took it out and "blew the soot out" of it. After this I changed my oil. I wanted to go with a synthetic oil but my Tahoe has 118k miles and dude said I should not because it will break down the engine. I will research this further to validate whether I should or should not go to a synthetic. So I ended up putting in Quaker State 10W-30. I can verify that the Tahoe has more power and seems to be more agile. I'm going to let this tank burn out and refuel before I begin testing fuel economy again.

So here's a summary of what I did this weekend.

• Changed spark plugs (Autolite) & wires.
• Seafoamed the crankcase and engine intake (not the fuel)
• Blew the soot out (the fun part)
  
• Changed the oil

My Tahoe is not leaving rubber or running a six-second quarter... that's not my goal. I just want to up my MPG.

Fuel Savings in Hard Times (Tank 3)

Related Articles

---

Truth About Acetone and Ethanol

Tracking Spreadsheet

---

-- Third tank... testing with no acetone added. --

An amazing thing happened today. I had been watching my gas gauge with this tank and thought my mileage would be up a bit. This morning I filled up and calculated 17.9 mpg with no acetone added!! Note that I probably averaged 75 mph on the interstate traveling from southwest Arkansas on Sunday and then back and forth to work the past three days.

How could this happen? I have three guesses:

1. I put in 20.1 gallons this time. That means there were over five gallons left in the tank that had an approximate mix of 0.5 ounces/gallon. Now assuming the acetone did not evaporate from the gas it could be possible that this diluted throughout the last tank. Many internet articles show better fuel economy at a much more diluted mixture than I am using.
2. The higher ratio of acetone used may have helped to clean my fuel system.
   
3. The fuel I used was possibly superior to the fuel I have been using. This is a good point too because I have been using Kroger and everyone knows Kroger buys from different brokers... so there's no guarantee of consistent quality. On Sunday, however, i filled up at an Exxon station. I always buy 87 octane so that was the same. But I have to wonder if the fuel I bought was that much better than Kroger's.

Anyway, after I filled up today I went to the auto parts store and bought a new set of plugs and wires. I spent over $100 on them but they weren't particularly special... at least not according to the dude behind the counter. I also bought a can of Seafoam. I intend to flush out my oil system and my engine with this. So here's what I have planned for the weekend.

• Change plugs/wires
• Seafoam the engine/oil system
• Change the oil. I will probably go with Mobile 1 (synthetic) oil.

I'm going run a few tanks through after this with no acetone to see what increases I get.

Fuel Savings in Hard Times (Tank2)

Related Articles

---

Truth About Acetone and Ethanol

---

-- Second tank... testing at 0.5 ounces of acetone per gallon of gas. --

I refilled on Sunday. I put just over 20 gallons of gas in and calculated 17.1 mpg. So it appears obvious that with the current air/fuel ratio of my Tahoe 0.8 ounces did not perform as well as 0.5 ounces. Currently I'm running a tank with no additives and will report the economy when I refuel.

My plan next is to Seafoam, to change out plugs and wires and possibly upgrade to a synthetic oil (I'm thinking Amsoil). I will let you know what I end up doing.

Oh... I intend to track my progress in this spreadsheet (follow the below link).

Spreadsheet

Fuel Savings in Hard Times (Tank1)

Related Articles

---

Truth About Acetone and Ethanol

---

Well, the first tank is history. It got a dismal 16.2 mpg. I was really disappointed after the horsepower increase I saw early on. I refueled yesterday and added the acetone at .5oz/gal. That was 21 gallons added and 10.5oz of acetone. Yes, I realize there were a few gallons in the tank (26-gal tank) and this throws off the mixture a bit but I'm not going for rocket science yet. I'm going for a noticeable result... and 16.2 mpg is noticeable... OUCH.

By the way... 87 octane was $3.47/gal in Cabot, AR yesterday (Aug 5, 2008) evening. I buy at Kroger and get $.03 off just for having a Kroger card... then an additional $0.10 off if I've bought over $100 in groceries. Not shabby, but I remember when gas was below $0.50/gal... so $3.50 is not really impressive.

So far I'm not impressed. However there are some discrepancies I've seen on other sites. For the most part, people use a much smaller amount of acetone per gallon of gasoline. My test, for now, is to baseline the higher ratio and then begin tweaking the fuel mixture. I will probably also see about tweaking the timing. Something tells me that timing may have something to do with this although the article above didn't speak about timing at all. I'm not a mechanic but I have this feeling that richer fuel may need a timing adjustment to be optimal. We shall see.

Fuel Savings in Hard Times (Update)

Related Articles

---

Truth About Acetone and Ethanol

---

Update 2008-08-01: I added the acetone yesterday evening and drove for a couple miles just to help ensure it was distributed throughout the tank. I don't know whether that was necessary but it made me feel better.

The first thing I noticed immediately this morning was power. I had much more power than I did before adding the acetone. When my Tahoe shifted to overdrive my head went back... the car lunged when it shifted. I don't have whiplash, but it was noticeable. Acceleration is amazing... I can just feel the additional horsepower. Anyone who has climbed Cantrell Hill in Little Rock, AR on I430 knows that it's a long 30% grade and it increases at the top. I climb it every day going to work. Normally I like to get a run at it so I don't have to drop out of overdrive at the top to maintain speed. Today I didn't get a run and I didn't maintain speed. However, I also did NOT drop out of overdrive. My Tahoe climbed right up the hill without so much as a whimper!!

Now I am very excited to see what mileage improvement (or decline) I have with this acetone. I haven't changed my driving habits one bit and don't intend to. In fact, I want to replace my plugs and wires and also Seafoam my engine but I'm going to wait until this is all done. I'm not changing a thing until I've determined what the acetone is going to do. I'm pumped about this! I think I'm going to go find a punk kid and drag race his butt this evening!!

Fuel Savings in Hard Times

Related Articles

---

Truth About Acetone and Ethanol

---

I am an eternal optimist when it comes to alternative fuels. I like to think that there are ways to enhance current technologies to squeeze more from them. I truly believe there are those in positions of power and authority who aren't motivated, for whatever reason, to make advances using current technologies.

There are a lot of potential reasons for this... take the concept of planned obsolescence for example. This concept is simple... make the product obsolete or outdated so that those producing the product can perpetuate their profit... or at least re energize it. And this concept exists in pretty much every market.

If I could tell you how to get 40 mpg in your V8 SUV without anyone having to buy a new car or any companies having to build one single new refueling station would that be significant? Imagine what that would do for the average Joe... how much money he could put back in his pocket after refueling... how much money he could pump back into the economy after refueling.

So for this reason I have decided to find out for myself if a certain technology is truly viable. I went to Home Depot today and bought a can of acetone. The theory is that acetone can improve fuel efficiency. The claims are anywhere from a couple of MPG to over 100% increase in gas mileage.

The link at the top of this blog gives a person enough information to begin testing. So I filled my Tahoe and then added 0.8 ounces of acetone per gallon of gasoline in the tank. This is not the 1.0 ounce per gallon prescribed in the article but I don't have an exhaust leak... so I'm starting a little smaller. My Tahoe has a 5.3 liter V8 and I currently get around 17 mpg. I've watched my mileage for quite awhile so I'm aware of the average. I have never gotten over 17.5. So this first test ought to be a quickie... here's what I'll do:

• Run through a few tanks with the 0.8 oz. per gallon and check my mpg after each refill. I realize that I can't perfectly calculate the amount of acetone if I'm not running my tank dry, however this is close enough for government work.
  
• Run through a few tanks with no acetone and check my mpg after each refill. Why? I saw reports of lower-than-normal mileage after the acetone was out of the system, so I want to check that out. Plus, if the acetone has done anything to the engine (good or bad) I want to know that as well... kind of re-establish a baseline for further tests.
  

This is pretty cut-and-dry, no?

Now, I truly want to try the "Richening" theory as well. I will consider that after the above tests are complete. If I do this I will probably buy a one of the chip programmers so I don't have to drill a hole in my exhaust pipe... and so that I can get some real numbers on how rich my mix is... seems like that would be important.

So, check back regularly and I will keep you posted. I'll post an update after each refill and anytime something interesting comes up... like my Tahoe dies.

Oh... ever wonder why the tests in these far-out stories are always done on old cars nobody drives anymore? Me too. Oh well.

Wireless transmission of energy. It's happening today!

Related Articles

---

Physics promises wireless power
Wireless Energy Lights Bulb from Seven Feet Away
Wireless Energy Transfer May Power Devices at a Distance
Wireless Energy
The "Magic Pad": A Wireless Mobile Device Charger
Project Tesla
Wireless power in action (Cool Video!)

---

Is the name "Tesla" anathema to mainstream science? This goes for both the scientists and the reporters who write their stories. You would think none of them has ever heard of Nikola Tesla (save the NYT article). Why, if you read the above articles about wireless electricity you would walk away thinking this was a radical new concept! It's not.

Nikola Tesla imagined, developed and repeatedly demonstrated wireless technology one hundred years ago! In case you don't know who Nikola Tesla is... reach over and turn the light off... then turn it back on... now think of where that power came from. It came from the mind of Nikola Tesla. He invented alternating current. He designed and built the first AC power-generating station at Niagara Falls. He invented the radio. He discovered VLF waves. He... well, he did a lot of other things for which people today still refuse to give him credit (as evidenced by the absence of his name in the above articles).

So what is wireless energy? It is the transmission of electrical power without the use of wires... and it's very old technology that has been waiting for a century to be put to practical use. It involves resonance. This is best described by thinking of two similar instruments and how one will resonate when the other is played. The same is true with electricity. Take two identical copper coils, one transmitting and the other attached to, say, a light bulb. Place them a few feet apart. Activate the transmitter attached to the one coil and the bulb attached to the other coil will light up. The waves produced by the one coil cause the second coil to resonate with the same energy... thus producing electricity.

The first practical use I saw was a "charging pad" for cell phones and PDAs. While all wireless charging is not resonant it still is one method being used.

Practical Use?

I could go on... both on this technology and on the man who invented it a century ago. You can read all about both above. What I do want is to tell you how this can be used.

• First consider (go read) my previous post on supercapacitors.
  
• Now consider wireless power transmission stations along highways... remember that it takes seconds to charge a supercapacitor.
  
• What do you have? You have a technology that eliminates the need to stop and fill up (recharge) your car. You just keep driving!
  

Keep your eyes on this technology. Especially resonant tech as it shows the most promise for transmitting over distance... and that's where the real practicality is.

The Supercapacitors Are Coming!

Related Articles

---

MIT research may spell end for the battery
Battery Breakthrough?

---

One technology quietly making its way back into the limelight despite the lack of press is the capacitor. Capacitors have been around for over 250 years and have changed little since their invention. However today, with new technologies, capacitors are about to make a bound into the forefront.

I'm seeing these new capacitors grouped into two categories... supercapacitors and ultracapacitors. Now some of you are going to say, "These are the same thing!" and that's exactly what wikipedia says. But I don't think I agree.

Ultracapacitors are basically the same old capacitor technology but with more layers to create more storage capacity. Ultracapacitors are already making their way into everyday use. Zenn Cars is close to releasing its first ultracapacitor cars. These capacitors will pack up to ten times as much charge as conventional car batteries.

Supercapacitors seem to be different. A group at MIT are perfecting supercapacitors. They use carbon nanotubes to create the storage capacity. If claims are true these supercapacitors will provide even more power than the aforementioned ultracapacitors.


See if you can imagine this capacitor in your car

• All the power of a battery.
• A full charge in minutes or less... no different filling up my gas tank except I plug it into an outlet to charge.
• Will not lose its capacity over time like a battery.
• No harmful chemicals to dispose of or gases to blow up... just carbon.

That sounds great doesn't it? Let's hope the big motor companies don't find a way to delay the inevitable. The only drawback is that so much has been invested in current technologies it will be awhile before these capacitors hit their stride.

Hydrogen from seawater is a good idea!!

Related Articles

---

Science turns sun, surf into green energy

John Kanzius Apparatus

---

Of late I have been seeing greater numbers of articles with newer ways to extract hydrogen for use as a fuel. Many of these are very promising. For instance, Australia has an idea that it can provide 100% of its country's energy needs using hydrogen extracted from water by means of solar energy within the next ten years.

Next there's John Kanzius, who has found a way to use radio waves to extract hydrogen from seawater. He makes no claims as to the payback but simply that he has found a simple way to extract the hydrogen from seawater... leaving oxygen and salt as a byproduct.

I won't go into detail on these technologies as you can easily research them on Google. What I do want to discuss is the apparent lack of foresight and outside-the-box thinking by Internet posters. One poster said "Hydrogen makes no sense as a fuel EXACTLY because it takes more energy for us to produce it RIGHT NOW, than it gives us back RIGHT NOW."

Let me make this point. My body is one of the most efficient mechanisms (if not the most) for storing and using energy known. However, it is not 100% efficient... meaning it is NOT a perpetual motion machine. But you don't see me giving up on my body do you? uh... hardly. I take advantage of energy stored in the food I eat to keep me going. That's what we're talking about here.

My point? Just because something is not a perpetual motion/energy device in no way means it is unusable. 90% of the posts poo pooing the hydrogen-from-seawater device argue that it takes more energy to create the hydrogen than you get from the hydrogen. So what??? Does it not take more energy to charge any battery than you get from that battery? Of course it does. The benefit is that you have stored energy.

So, all of those who can't get past that mental block need to just go away and let the rest of us solve the problems.

How To Mass Produce Hydrogen TODAY

• Find an unused offshore oil platform - offshore but close to shore
• Deploy a number of existing technologies to produce electricity (wave energy, tidal energy, solar energy).
• Use the electricity to (1) power the radio wave emitter and (2) Pipe the hydrogen to the shore to be stored.

I know... you're saying, "So it still takes more energy to extract the hydrogen than the hydrogen itself provides!" aren't you? You are absolutely right. However, if that's what you're thinking you've missed the fuel-cell-powered bus altogether!!

Now, instead of having only the electricity generated by the various technologies, you have hydrogen to use in fuel cells for whatever you want and you can keep it indefinitely until you're ready to use it.

So, the next time you techno-nerds want to show how smart you are... think twice. It's not about "perpetual motion" and it's not about "perpetual energy". It's about "free Energy"! And there is more than enough on this planet to meet our needs for much longer than we (humans) will be here.