Gasahol Update

In rec.aviation.owning Jay Honeck wrote:
: Thought there was some kind of easy test you could do by adding water
: to a sample of your fuel.

: Well, Corky, as you can see by the debate raging in this thread, there
: really is no "easy" test to check for alcohol.

I haven't been following too closely (SNR pretty low, actually), but the
debate isn't about whether it's easy to detect. Rather, it's about detecting
*accurately* the concentration, type, and whether or not there's and easy way to
remove it.

The test-tube check *will* show the presence of alcohol. AIUI, that's enough
to nix using it in certified aircraft under an STC. Removing it could be done, but
then the formulation of the fuel could/will be off. It may not be suitable for the
engine's requirement (e.g. octane) even if it's removed.

Also, some places add it further down the chain than others. Some are done at
the refinerery, some early at the depot, and some splashed in the truck.

-Cory

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* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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