Kerosene is an aviation fuel that is practically not used for car engines. However, many experienced car owners add a small amount of kerosene to the gas tank, which, in their opinion, improves engine performance. Let's talk in more detail about why experienced car owners mix gasoline and kerosene, whether this is harmful and whether it will lead to various kinds of serious malfunctions.
Kerosene in the gas tank (do not repeat!)
There is a lot of strange advice on the Internet. For example, one garage specialist recommends adding a mixture of half a liter of kerosene and one hundred milliliters of acetone to the fuel. By pouring it into the gas tank, in return you will supposedly get improved dynamics (due to cleaned injectors), and for some reason fuel consumption should also decrease. According to the author of the advice, his drug surpasses all branded products both in effectiveness and in terms of price/quality ratio. And he also writes this:
Kerosene is used as aviation fuel. But it is not suitable for an engine in its pure form, since it has a high octane number and excessive detonation may occur.
Regularity of engine cleaning
Experts recommend cleaning the fuel system using aviation kerosene no more often and no less than once a year. This allows you to prevent problems with rare earth coating of engine cylinders, while simultaneously eliminating all possible deposits on the elements of the injection system. This work is best done in the fall before the onset of cold weather, which simultaneously solves problems with water accumulated in the gas tank.
The car owner only needs to understand that the use of kerosene will, first of all, be an excellent preventive measure against the appearance of plaque and contamination on the elements of the fuel system. However, dealing with existing serious pollution in this way will be problematic. Therefore, you should regularly clean the engine using a small amount of aviation kerosene from existing contaminants; only in this case will it be possible to subsequently prevent the occurrence of various types of malfunctions, the elimination of which will require significant financial costs for the car owner.
conclusions
The use of aviation kerosene, which is added to the gas tank, allows you to bind and remove water, as well as cleanse the entire fuel system of existing contaminants and dense deposits. This is a completely safe and effective product that is easy to use. It is recommended to carry out such cleaning on a regular basis annually, which will be an excellent prevention of serious engine malfunctions, while reducing the car owner’s costs for operating and repairing his car.
07.08.2019
How to flush an engine with kerosene or diesel fuel
If the car owner, despite all the recommendations, decided to carry out his plan, that is, clean the engine, then it is important to know that the most painless washing will be for owners of the domestic automobile industry and used foreign cars.
The procedure is not very useful, but it is possible to achieve cleanliness in the internal combustion engine. To carry out the operation, you should stock up on at least 5 liters of kerosene or diesel fuel.
It is more rational to wash with these means during the period of replacing the lubricant mixture. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on a new filter element in advance.
The washing operation includes a number of sequential actions:
- bring the engine to operating temperature;
- get rid of the old technical fluid;
- introduce a flushing component (kerosene/diesel);
- start the engine, accelerate a little;
- turn off the car for 5 minutes so that the system cools down a little;
- repeat the steps several times;
- get rid of flushing components in the system.
After all these manipulations, all that remains is to change the oil filter and add a fresh lubricant mixture.
Aviation and automobile gasolines
The main areas of use of gasoline were their use for the operation of automobile and aircraft engines.
But each of the listed areas of use in production technology has its own significant differences, which determine the properties of petroleum products. In order to ensure the most efficient and rational use of oil, it is subjected to a distillation procedure, which allows for division into fractions. The technology consists of heating a liquid to a certain temperature. As a result, vapors are formed, after cooling of which the condensate will be the manufactured oil product: it can be gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, naphtha, or fuel oil.
Oil fractions are heterogeneous, so it is impossible to use any strictly defined chemical formulas to express them. At the same time, gasolines are light petroleum fractions that boil away at temperatures above +200 ˚С. These are organic mixtures that, depending on their chemical composition, will have individual properties. Ultimately, they determine the quality of the fuel.
The main areas of use of gasoline were their use for the operation of automobile and aircraft engines. But each of the listed areas of use in production technology has its own significant differences, which determine the properties of petroleum products.
Advantages and disadvantages
Flaws
- the use of expensive catalysts and hydrogen, which is becoming increasingly scarce at refineries
- the need for units for purifying hydrocarbon and hydrogen-containing gases from hydrogen sulfide and installations for processing H2S to sulfur or sulfuric acid
- removal of almost all heteroatomic compounds capable of forming protective films on metal surfaces, which leads to deterioration of the anti-wear properties of fuels.
Advantages
- significant improvement in the main characteristics of petroleum products
- reduction of equipment corrosion
- reducing the negative impact of fuel combustion products on the atmosphere
- improvement of the smell and color of lubricating oils (compared to contact cleaning with clays)
Flushing the engine with kerosene (diesel oil) - benefits and harms
True, similar methods were used and were relevant several decades ago, since the number of car service points was extremely low. Currently, modern cleaning technologies are equipped with computer devices, which allow you to quickly and accurately flush the internal combustion engine.
Today, the method of flushing the engine with these compounds is becoming a thing of the past, since in addition to the benefits of the procedure, you can also get harm.
Over time, engine designs and lubricants for automobiles undergo constant changes. If the driver nevertheless decides to wash the new power unit with kerosene or diesel fuel, then he will immediately say goodbye to its warranty.
The only rational option for such washing is considered to be a situation where the power device is completely dismantled and disassembled in parts.
Despite the legends that surround these oil flushing products, they will not completely cope with the task. The engine system always contains hard-to-reach areas where contaminants are densely located.
Therefore, if kerosene penetrates into this area, even in small quantities, the oil product will remain there. And this is fraught with consequences.
If the owner of the car fills in a new portion of the lubricating mixture, the remaining kerosene will be mixed with this motor fluid. As a result, the lubricant will lose some of its beneficial properties.
General information
Both products are obtained by heating oil, but the temperature in each case is different. The necessary components boil away, and after cooling they turn into a flammable liquid. The substances look similar. This is gasoline:
Petrol
And here is kerosene:
Kerosene
Theory
Engines designed for 76 gasoline have a lower compression ratio (7.5-8.5) than engines designed for 95 gasoline (10-12). That is, an internal combustion engine for 76 gasoline will be able to compress the fuel mixture only ≈ 8 times, while an internal combustion engine designed for 95 gasoline will compress it ≈ 10 times.
If you pour 76-octane gasoline into an engine with a high compression ratio, the internal combustion engine will operate with detonation. In this case, the fuel mixture will explode earlier than necessary for the correct operation of this engine. Such detonation can destroy the engine.
Fuel consumption
Determining how much fuel airplanes use can be difficult. To do this, many external factors must be taken into account. Consumption itself can be expressed as specific or hourly consumption.
Have you seen how an airliner is refueled?
Not really
What determines fuel consumption?
There are a large number of factors that influence how much fuel a plane burns during a flight. Therefore, when creating a project for a future car, many elements and the likely fuel costs associated with them are taken into account.
Main factors:
- cruising speed;
- weight of the aircraft without load;
- commercial load;
- weather;
- engine model;
- design features.
Certain flight conditions and the use of additional equipment may also affect flow rates. The latter is especially relevant for the operation of military aircraft with advanced electronic systems.
Specific and hourly fuel consumption
Specific fuel consumption is understood as the amount of fuel used by an aircraft per unit of time or distance relative to the power or thrust of the engine installed on the aircraft. This type of calculation is used most often. In this case, several parameters are taken into account from which the calculation will take place.
Units:
- weight or volume of fuel (gram, kilogram, liter);
- time or distance spent (hour, kilometer);
- power or thrust of a power plant (horsepower or kilogram-force).
From them a certain value is obtained. Usually the basis is kg/kgf-h or g/hp-h. For passenger air travel, a different calculation is often used, which includes the weight of fuel used per kilometer with the number of passengers on board. It is designated as g/pass.-km. You can calculate the cost per 100 km by multiplying the final value by 100. This indicator is useful for determining fuel efficiency, as it helps to find a profitable aircraft for transporting a given number of passengers with minimal fuel costs.
The second type of calculating fuel consumption is hourly consumption. It refers to the amount of fuel used per hour of flight. For the calculation, the value obtained when the aircraft is moving at cruising speed and maximum commercial load is taken. Other conditions are unacceptable and are considered unreliable. With this calculation, the parameter designation is kg/h. Its average value for most aviation varies from 1 to 15 thousand kg/h.
The cruising speed used in this calculation is the base speed at which all passenger transportation is carried out on a particular aircraft model. It is usually about 80% of the maximum and is limited in order to improve flight safety or increase the permissible payload. The latter implies the number of passengers, as well as their total weight, including luggage, hand luggage and other things.
When calculating cargo or passenger flights, the second type of calculation is considered more logical, since their goal is to deliver cargo to the required distance with minimal fuel costs. Specific consumption is only useful for calculating the maximum amount of time an aircraft can spend in the air. Nevertheless, it was he who was entrenched in the technical characteristics.
How to calculate the amount of fuel for a flight
Before the plane departs for a flight, the amount of fuel that needs to be filled into the tanks is calculated. For this purpose, special formulas are used that are available to a certain circle of people working for the airline. They may be different for each aircraft. Therefore, there is no universal way to determine future costs.
Approximate table for calculating the amount of fuel for a flight
Despite the inaccessibility of the formulas to the public, it is still possible to calculate the approximate consumption. To do this, you will need to consider several important factors:
- the mass of fuel that will be consumed when performing a certain flight with an expected commercial load;
- the amount of fuel required when it becomes necessary to get from the final point of the flight to the most remote airfield among the alternate ones;
- fuel required to fly two additional circles over the airfield before landing;
- spare fuel in the amount of 5% of the total amount required for the flight, taking into account additional factors.
By adding up all these values, you can find out how much fuel the aircraft needs. This can only be calculated correctly if you know the exact flight characteristics of the model, the distances and location of additional airfields. Therefore, the values obtained can only be approximate.
Table
Petrol | Kerosene |
Atom chains are shorter | Hydrocarbon formations longer |
Produced with less heating of oil | It needs a higher temperature to boil. |
Flashes instantly, extremely fire hazardous | Flames up gradually |
Releases less energy | Calorific value is higher |
Not suitable for household appliances | It runs a special lamp, kerosene gas and other devices |
Over time, it quickly loses its beneficial properties | More stable during storage |
Why do you need to take measurements?
Density helps evaluate the brand of gasoline and its volumetric weight. This value is necessary when dispensing fuel and receiving products.
Due to temperature fluctuations, fuel performance may vary, which can cause disagreements when dispensing and receiving petroleum products. Therefore, to standardize the process of measuring the density of petroleum products, rules have been developed for recalculating the amount of petroleum products depending on the average indicators for fuel brands.
In this case, density helps determine the chemical composition of gasoline and identify it. Each brand has its own density indicators, which vary within small limits. For example, if during the measurement we obtained data that is higher or lower than the standard values, then without conducting a laboratory chemical analysis it is impossible to verify the reliability of the presented brand of fuel.
Also, by calculating the density of gasoline, it is possible to determine the approximate mass of large volumes of petroleum products (for example, in tanks) when weighing is impossible. These measurement methods are specified in GOST R 8.595-2004.
Gasoline and diesel fuel have different chemical compositions and combustion characteristics, including ignition temperatures.
- Diesel fuel is produced this way: crude oil is heated to produce diesel fractions. The fractions are then broken down (this is called cracking) at different temperatures. Next is the hydrotreating stage, where sulfur compounds are removed from the diesel fuel. At the final stage - the addition of additives that improve viscosity and fluidity, and for winter diesel fuel - the process of paraffin separation.
- To produce gasoline , crude oil is heated, releasing gasoline fractions containing large amounts of sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons. During the cracking process (splitting fractions), hydrocarbons and sulfur are removed from the fuel and the octane number is increased. Then, depending on the type of gasoline, additives are added.
The difference between gasoline B 91 115 and Avgas 100 ll
Aviation gasoline B 91 115 is a mixture of fuel obtained by direct distillation using catalytic reforming. The composition of such fuel includes alkylbenzenes, toluene and various additives (ethyl, antioxidant, dye). Aviation gasoline Avgas 100 ll consists of a mixture of similar high-octane and base components. To obtain this grade of fuel, ethyl, dye and additives are added to prevent the formation of corrosion and static electricity.
The differences between the two brands of flammable substances lie in the grade, additives used, components and different tetraethyl lead content. In the first grade of fuel, the amount of tetraethyl lead should not be more than 2.5 g/kg, in the second - 0.56 g/l. The letter code ll in the name means low lead content in the fuel. The less lead there is in aviation gasoline, the better its environmental characteristics. Cleaner gasoline will not only protect nature from destruction, but will also reduce the toxic effects of fuel on workers who are constantly forced to come into contact with it. It is worth noting that the legislation of the Russian Federation does not regulate the addition of additives against corrosion, crystallization and static to the composition of aviation fuel.
Gasoline in a diesel engine
Every car enthusiast knows that the fuel required by the design of the vehicle must be filled into the tank of the car. Sometimes mistakes happen. Some car owners are trying to experiment. They believe that you can independently obtain a combustible mixture; you just need to mix gasoline and diesel fuel in certain proportions.
Every car's internal combustion engine is designed to run on one type of fuel. If other fuel gets into the system, big problems will arise. The most favorable outcome when making such a mistake is to carry out simple manipulations:
- washing the tank;
- highway cleaning;
- replacing filters.
How can you suspect that gasoline is poured into a diesel fuel tank? Since diesel fuel is denser, when it enters the engine, its operation will not change.
Next, processes will begin to occur that disable the internal combustion engine. The combustion chamber does not work as before; diesel fuel and gasoline ignite at different temperatures, which causes a malfunction. At this time, the driver can determine that the engine rhythm is disturbed. At the same time, there is an increase in temperature in it, which is monitored on the dashboard. This is a reason to stop and check if everything is okay. Perhaps at this moment the car owner will remember that he filled up with gasoline instead of diesel, or will suspect a mistake made by the operator at the gas station.
Did you manage to travel a long distance? Calling a tow truck would be the right decision. All that remains to be done is to send the vehicle to a service station. They will help you solve the problem. When you suspect something is wrong, immediately drain all the fuel from the tank and fill it with diesel fuel. It is allowed to mix 40 liters of gasoline and 10 liters of diesel fuel. With such fuel you can continue driving with periodic refueling. In this case, experts recommend adding additives that increase the cetane number. You can fill the engine with 50 ml of oil, which is intended for two-stroke internal combustion engines. The volume is indicated for 1 liter of gasoline that entered the tank by mistake.
What's the result?
Let's sum up the intermediate results. By mixing diesel fuel with kerosene , we get:
- reduction in engine power;
- lower fuel economy;
- insufficiently low filtration temperature;
- reduction in fuel lubricity;
- reduction in cetane number.
These shortcomings are relatively easy to overcome. It is enough to use modern fuel additives . But what to do when you have access to free kerosene?
There is a solution. You can mix kerosene with motor mineral oil in a ratio of 1:40 and increase the cetane number by introducing additives . But the resulting fuel will still be less stable than straight-run diesel.