An ICE fuel conversion (or internal combustion engine fuel conversion) is a form of green tuning where the internal combustion engine is adapted for use with a alternative fuel.[1]
Types of conversions[edit | edit source]
Several types of conversions exist. These include:
- Vegetable oil conversion of diesel cars.
- Hydrogen and oxyhydrogen conversions.[2][3]These only include Hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle conversions and not hydrogen fuel cell conversions, which no longer use an internal combustion cycle. Pure hydrogen as well as Oxyhydrogen is completely non-polluting. Other mixtures as HCNG too exist but are no longer emissionless due to the presence of gases as natural gas.
- Hydrogen or oxyhydrogen/fossil fuel conversion. These conversions merely mix hydrogen/oxyhydrogen with fossil fuels.[4][5][6][7][8] They are usually called hydrogen boosters.[9][10]
- Liquid nitrogen ICE conversions are conversions with Liquid nitrogen.
- Ethanol fuel conversions , and E85 conversions
- Natural gas, LPG, methanol, butanol and other fuel conversions
Comparison of conversions[edit | edit source]
Vegetable oil conversions are undoubtably most known and popular conversions. However, vegetable oil, as well as most other combustible fuels (except hydrogen) are polluting to some degree. Although purer fuels (as ethanol, methanol, ...) burn cleaner, they too still emit poisonous gases, and toxicologic and climate reports have stated that they are not more clean than gasoline/diesel and are sometimes even worse.
When compared against each other, conversion to liquid hydrogen, oxyhydrogen or liquid nitrogen internal combustion is undoubtably the most ecologic.[11]A conversion to hydrogen will completely eliminate all engine emissions. Hydrogen however has less energy per kg. These downsides however may also be reverted by improving the efficiency of the internal combustion engine itself, which is generally only 20% efficient (the remaining 80% of energy is lost as waste heat). This may be done in practice by the installation of heat exchangers hooked up to a stirling engine (which may use the heat difference between the engine and the outside air to generate extra power). Liquid nitrogen conversions finally are also very ecologic, yet little information is already available on how a conversion can be done and how inexpensive liquid nitrogen generators can be made.
In practice[edit | edit source]
The possibility and difficulty of the ICE fuel conversion depends on the type of engine.
The easiest and most versatile to alter is the Quasiturbine which runs on several more "regular" alternative fuels as well as compressed air.
2-stroke engines are probably not convertible.[12] Though most automobiles no longer use 2-stroke engines, some marine engines (eg simple outboard engines) and smaller vehicles (eg scooters, ...) still use them.
Rotary engines can be quite easily converted due to the fact that in most conversions, basically only the fuel is changed and not the engine itself, relatively few modifications need to be done
With 4-stroke engines, conversions are also simple due to the fact that again only the fuel needs to be changed and not the engine.[13]Diesel variants are most useful for vegetable oil conversions[14],[15] while petrol engines are more simple in design and easier to convert with certain fuels (primarily non-oil-based (or rather non-viscous) fuels.[16][17]
For example with ethanol fuel conversions, only some mere changes in the carburator (eg boring out of 2 jet orifices) and a alturation in the ingition timing needed to be done.[18]
Conversions may be outsourced to professionals, depending on the type of engine and conversion to be done.[19]Amateur conversions may also be done, either 'on the touch' or with a conversion kit.
Conversion assistance[edit | edit source]
Due to the increasing popularity of internal combustion engine fuel conversions, commercial conversion kits have recently become available. Kits allow a relatively cheap conversion together with an easier installation[20](requiring less knowledge/skill in these conversions). Kits can be found through sites as Hydrogencarconversion.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Alternative fuel conversion
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [Hydrogen fuel conversion explained]
- ↑ [ Water2fuel as a hydrogen/fossil fuel mixing kit]
- ↑ List of companies selling hydrogen boosters
- ↑ Water4Fuel as a hydrogen/fossil fuel mixing kit
- ↑ Central Valley HHO, company selling HHO boosters for small and large vehicles (even ships)
- ↑ Another company selling a variety of HHO boosters (specific to the IC motor used)
- ↑ Hydrogen boosters
- ↑ Improving the Water4gas system
- ↑ Car fuels compared
- ↑ 2-stroke engine conversions
- ↑ Conversion of ICE to hydrogen
- ↑ Modifying diesel engines
- ↑ Green Wheels:Lovecraft biofuels; docu showing petrol engine modification in practice
- ↑ [Hydroxy conversion videos and research papers]
- ↑ Hydroxy fuel conversion for 4-stroke engines
- ↑ Ethanol fuel conversion
- ↑ Petrol to hydrogen ICE conversion outsourcing
- ↑ [Benefits of conversion kits]
