Spark Knocks, Carbon Noise, and Abnormal Combustion • Flame front travels across combustion chamber and pushes piston down – Travels 50-250 meters per second • Normal combustion – Air-fuel mixture burns in a controlled manner • Some abnormal combustion causes – Cylinder temperatures too high – Too lean an air-fuel mixture – Engine overheating or driver lugs an engine
Octane Standards • Antiknock index (AKI) – Measure of gasoline octane quality – Average of research octane number (RON) and motor octane number (MON) • RON gives higher reading • MON measures how much engine knock present under heavy loads – (R + M)/2: required by law to be listed on the octane decal on gasoline pump
Gasoline Additives • Expensive – Added in minute quantities to fuel • Detergents and deposit control additives – Have a large effect on gasoline quality – Keep port fuel injectors from becoming fouled – Required by law since 1995 in all states
Reformulated Gasolines • Gasoline refinement – Affects air pollution • Reformulated gasolines – Clean air by providing more complete combustion – Required by EPA in U.S. cities with worst air pollution – Cars can damage older rubber fuel lines – Less energy content, reducing fuel economy