Friday, November 20, 2015

Engine Fuels and Combustion

You will find gasoline as the most widely used fuel for automotive engines. Actually, gasoline contains hydrocarbon (CH) bond that aids to initiate the ignition. You may also think that gasoline means gas, which you are using on your kitchen. But, automotives use liquid form of gasoline.
Atmospheric air contains approximately 20 percent oxygen (O) and 80 percent nitrogen (N). When combustion of air-fuel mixture takes place in the cylinder, then hydrogen molecule of the gasoline gets united with the oxygen molecule of the air, and forms hydrogen oxide (H2O)

                                  
At high temperature it becomes water vapor. All carbon molecules present in the gasoline gets united with the oxygen molecule of the air, and form carbon dioxide (CO2).


                                    
If you test the exhaust gases of engine, then you may find carbon-mono-oxide      (CO) and nitrogen oxide (N2O), which are really harmful gasses. It happens as the air-fuel mixture does not completely burn in the engine cylinder. In an analyzer test, you will always get HC, CO, and N2O in the engine exhaust gas.
Have you any idea about the chemical reaction of gasoline that takes place in the engine cylinder? Let us see how the CH bond of gasoline reacts in the presence of N and O of the atmospheric air.
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What do you see in this chemical reaction? May be you are thinking why there exist hydrocarbon in the right side of the reaction. This hydrocarbon stands to signify incomplete combustion. The chemical reaction of gasoline undergoes a complex process in the cylinder, where you will find some unburned gasoline as the byproduct. These byproducts are harmful for environment and human health.
Basically, you will find four important resources of air pollutants in your automotive. You have to have adequate knowledge on them to avoid further pollution. These resources are tailpipe, carburetor, crankcase, and fuel tank.

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