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Date:         Sun, 27 Aug 2000 13:52:55 PDT
Reply-To:     Mark Dorm <mark_hb@hotmail.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Dorm <mark_hb@hotmail.com>
Subject:      Re: Better Mileage Anyone? (without going ala Lilley)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

The heat (that isn't converted to motion) is still lost energy - its a lack of efficiency - its energy released from the fuel that moves out into the environment - I forget but isn't a gas engine only about 40 or 60 percent efficient in its transfer of energy from fuel to motion - wouldn't we better off measuring the speed of the piston upon explosion - and if theres an upper limit for how fast a particular piston can move then won't a hotter spark (that goes beyond that limit) just result in more heat being lost to the system

>From: CHRIS STANN <cstann@home.com> > >Mark Dorm said: > > > We're not interested in creating heat - we're interested in moving the > > pistons - the heat is really a loss of energy > >Well, don't they call it the internal COMBUSTION engine? The engine is >nothing but a heat pump, so your comment is absurd. *** Heat is energy! >*** >Heat is released during combustion. The stored energy in gasoline is >released as heat. Combustion is nothing but accelerated oxidation. You're >burning fuel. So you are interested in making heat, it's what moves the >pistons. I've never heard of a cold explosion. > >What you're not interested in is making more heat than your engine can >safely disperse and move away from precious mechanical parts. > >All I was saying is that the hotter heads may be explained by a more >complete combustion. This does not leave enough unburned fuel to cool >things inside the combustion chamber. So the plug that gives you hotter >heads may actually be better, in strict technical terms, but not better for >your engine.

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