Running a PAW .06 on Home Made Diesel Fuel

The Number One Problem with Diesels:- 


The first big drawback with diesels is the lack of a ready source for commercial model diesel fuel, in North America. It is virtually impossible to find Commercial Model Diesel Fuel for running our Diesel Model Airplane Engines.



MAKE YOUR OWN MODEL DIESEL FUEL- THIS BOOK SHOWS YOU HOW.

The Solution:- One solution to this problem is to make your own fuel.

I found that common, easily obtainable items like; scented lamp oil, castor oil and cold weather Quick Start (ether), when combined in approximate proportions (60% 20% 20% respectively), will make a acceptable, alternate source for model diesel fuel.

I have since found, that these three ingredients will work very well in combinations up to equal parts, of 1/3, 1/3, and 1/3.

Proof that it works:- You can see one of my engines running on the 60%, 20%, 20% mixture by clicking here.


Ether is a nasty substance:-  Ether is highly volatile and will change state from a liquid to a gas at room temperature and for that reason it is difficult to pour; it is dangerous especially in closed spaces it could even be deadly. If that wasn't enough disadvantages, it isn't available in many countries for general comsumption. For all those reasons it would be a real advantage if one could run their engines without relying on such a nasty substance. A quick look at the reference table shows that there are few if any safe candidates with a auto ignition temperature as low as Diethyl ether. 

Not Real Diesels:-  Model diesels are not real diesels in the true sense of the word, as they do not have injectors to as do modern diesels. The injectors are designed and adjusted to inject vaporized fuel into the cylinder at precisely the right time in the cycle. Near the top of the compression stroke (when the compressed air exceeds the auto ignition temperature of the fuel). The model diesels on the other hand are generally 2 stroke engines that intake a fuel air mixture, compress that mixture on the upstroke and when the temperature of compressed mixture reaches the ignition temperature of the constituent with the lowest auto ignition temperature, combustion occurs which usually is the either. Either has an auto ignition temperature of only 160 degrees C as can be seen in the table below. Number one fuel oil with an ignition temperature of 210 degrees C, looks like it would be a good candidate for replacing the lamp oil in my mixture. It may even work well without any ether.

Zero Ether Experiment:- An experiment was conducted using a set-up using a PAW .06 engine and various kerosene based fuel mixtures. The experiment showed that the same performance can be achieved with a zero ether fuel mixture if the cylinder temperature is increased high enough to ignite the kerosene in the fuel mixture. The cylinder temperature is increased to this level by increasing the compression ratio and adding a high viscosity synthetic oil to improve the compression leakage rate. I have even resorted to using a pocket torch to help this heating process along. 
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This picture is captured from a video clip of a PAW 06 diesel running on a fuel mixture with zero percent Ether. 

Watch a short video clip which demonstrates the techniques used to achieve those results.

The techniques demonstrated in this video can be used to make almost any diesel engine run. Even the infamous Gotham Deezil will run with a 80% Ether 20% high viscosity motor oil (see Gotham Deezil page).

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Auto-Ignition Data:- The Auto-Ignition Temperature - or the minimum temperature required to ignite a gas or vapor in air without a spark or flame being present - are indicated for some common fuels below:

Fuel or Chemical	Temperature
	(oC)	(oF)
Acetaldehyde	175	347
Acetone	465	869
Acetylene	305	581
Anthracite - glow point	600	1112
Benzene	560	1040
Bituminous coal - glow point	454	850
Butane	420	788
Carbon	700	1292
Carbon - bi sulfide	149	300
Carbon monoxide	609	1128
Charcoal	349	660
Coal-tar oil	580	1076
Coke	700	1292
Cyclohexane	245	473
Diethyl ether	160	320
Ethane	515	859
Ethylene	490	914
Ehtyl Alcohol	365	689
Fuel Oil No.1	210	410
Fuel Oil No.2	256	494
Fuel Oil No.4	262	505
Heavy hydrocarbons	750	1382
Hydrogen	500	932
Gas oil	336	637
Gasoline	280	536
Gun Cotton	221	430
Kerosene	295	563
Isobutane	462	864
Isobutene	465	869
Isooctane	447	837
Isopentane	420	788
Isopropyl Alcohol	399	750
Light gas	600	1112
Light hydrocarbons	650	1202
Lignite - glow point	526	979
Methane (Natural Gas)	580	1076
Methyl Alcohol	385	725
Naphtha	550	1022
Neoheaxane	425	797
Neopentane	450	842
Nitro-glycerine	254	490
n-Butane	405	761
n-Heptane	215	419
n-Hexane	225	437
n-Octane	220	428
n-Pentane	260	500
n-Pentene	298	569
Oak Wood - dry	482	900
Peat	227	440
Petroleum	400	752
Pine Wood - dry	427	800
Phosphorous, amorphous	260	500
Phosphorous, transparent	49	120
Production gas	750	1382
Propane	480	842
Propylene	458	856
p-Xylene	530	986
Rifle Powder	288	550
Toluene	530	849
Semi anthracite coal	400	752
Semi bituminous coal - glow point	527	980
Styrene	490	914
Sulphur	243	470
Wood	300	572
Xylene	463	867

The flammable (explosive) range is the range of a gas or vapor concentration that will burn or explode if an ignition source is introduced. Limiting concentrations are commonly called the lower explosive or flammable limit (LEL/LFL) and the upper explosive or flammable limit (UEL/UFL).

Below the explosive or flammable limit the mixture is too lean to burn. Above the upper explosive or flammable limit the mixture is too rich to burn. The Auto-Ignition Temperature is not the same as Flash Point - The Flash Point indicates how easy a chemical may burn

Credit The Engineering ToolBox site.

All this Information and Much More in The Diesel Fuel Book

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