Uncle Willie
Member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2015
- Messages
- 289
- Location
- North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA
- Aircraft
- AutoGyro Calidus.
- Total Flight Time
- 300
Ethanol Testing
As a spin-off thread from a previous discussion concerning Ethanol in Gasoline, I am beginning another round of practical tests.
I have prepared a number of gasoline samples that I will be stored in an unheated detached garage in Northern Ohio.
Ohio is subject to true seasonal changes. There are multiple days in the 90’s during the summer. Winter temperature in the upper teens are quite common and it can be expected to go below Zero °F at least once.
I have acquired a $10 sample each of E0(Ethanol Free), E10 (10%), and E85 (85%) Gasoline. I expected E85 to be readily available but it required a 15 mile round trip to the closest Gas station. E0 was even harder. A 55 mile round trip to a gas station just outside of a popular boating community was required. The pump was even labeled “Boat Gas, 90 Octane, Ethanol Free”. Although E85 is not recommended for any aviation use, it should serve as an extreme example of the properties of Ethanol. The logic being that if E10 supposedly absorbs water out of the Air, E85 should absorb a LOT of Water out of the Air.
A short tabletop experiment showed that E0 will not absorb even One drop of water. As expected!
E10 will absorb about 0.5% water by weight (As expected) before it starts to phase separate and become cloudy.
And E85 will absorb a whopping 20% weight of water.
You could pour just about 4 gallons of water into a 20-gallon tank of E85 without it separating. Impressive!
This is also my first encounter with E85. It definitely does NOT smell like gasoline. It smells like a weird mix of vodka and vinegar.
Also considering that I paid $2.19 a gallon for the E85, if you consider it to be 170 proof vodka, a fifth of vodka should be selling for about $0.50. What a profit maker!
On to the testing…
Day Zero (25 Oct 2018) …
I have a number of 2 gallon Red Poly Fuel cans. Each was filled with 6.00 pounds (About one Gallon) of E0, E10, and E85. These three containers will be stored in the garage on the concrete floor and we will have a look at them around the first of April. The spout seal rings of all three containers will be opened a half turn to break the seal and allow the cans to “Breath”, simulating a vented fuel tank, or at least poorly stored fuel.
Another set of samples of have been poured into 3 Canning Jars. 500 Grams (About a Pint) of E0, E10, and E85 were accurately measured into each glass jar. The seal lids have been turned upside down to prevent sealing and the sealing rings are loose and are just there to prevent the flat lids from sliding off and dirt/dust from entering. Again, simulating vented fuel tanks.
As an interesting additional experiment, so that there will be something to see in the event that nothing at all happens, a fourth jar was filled with 500g of E10 gasoline and water was added one drop at a time until phase separation just started to cloud the normally clear gas. Then 2 more drops were added to be certain the fuel was fully saturated.
Here is a photo of the four jars on Day Zero. A piece of blue tape was attached to the background to help show the condition of the contents. The E10 wet sample was initially cloudy. The water falls to the bottom of the jar after an hour making the gas appear clear. I have circled the size of the water pool as seen on the lower right-hand corner of the E10 Wet sample to record the size of the water puddle. The jar was re-shaken for the photo.
Another pair of samples of the E85 and E0 fuel in completely full Canning Jars have been saved. These will be used as reference samples to see how much water the open samples have absorbed over the winter. E10 is easy to come by, so in the spring, I will just obtain some fresh gas for the E10 comparison. Past experience has shown that 0.5% water absorption is the norm.
Day One (26 Oct 2018)…
The samples have been in the back garage for 24 hours. The samples were prepared at room temperatures near 75°F. It has been the in lower 40’s the last day. As might be expected, the water puddle in the E10 Wet sample has grown due to the fuel not being able to absorb as much water at lower temperatures. The bubble is now about 3 times the diameter it was at the start. None of the other samples are showing any water but all the samples are now about an 1/8 inch lower due to evaporation.
I invite you all along as we see what happens over the next 5 months.
As a spin-off thread from a previous discussion concerning Ethanol in Gasoline, I am beginning another round of practical tests.
I have prepared a number of gasoline samples that I will be stored in an unheated detached garage in Northern Ohio.
Ohio is subject to true seasonal changes. There are multiple days in the 90’s during the summer. Winter temperature in the upper teens are quite common and it can be expected to go below Zero °F at least once.
I have acquired a $10 sample each of E0(Ethanol Free), E10 (10%), and E85 (85%) Gasoline. I expected E85 to be readily available but it required a 15 mile round trip to the closest Gas station. E0 was even harder. A 55 mile round trip to a gas station just outside of a popular boating community was required. The pump was even labeled “Boat Gas, 90 Octane, Ethanol Free”. Although E85 is not recommended for any aviation use, it should serve as an extreme example of the properties of Ethanol. The logic being that if E10 supposedly absorbs water out of the Air, E85 should absorb a LOT of Water out of the Air.
A short tabletop experiment showed that E0 will not absorb even One drop of water. As expected!
E10 will absorb about 0.5% water by weight (As expected) before it starts to phase separate and become cloudy.
And E85 will absorb a whopping 20% weight of water.
You could pour just about 4 gallons of water into a 20-gallon tank of E85 without it separating. Impressive!
This is also my first encounter with E85. It definitely does NOT smell like gasoline. It smells like a weird mix of vodka and vinegar.
Also considering that I paid $2.19 a gallon for the E85, if you consider it to be 170 proof vodka, a fifth of vodka should be selling for about $0.50. What a profit maker!
On to the testing…
Day Zero (25 Oct 2018) …
I have a number of 2 gallon Red Poly Fuel cans. Each was filled with 6.00 pounds (About one Gallon) of E0, E10, and E85. These three containers will be stored in the garage on the concrete floor and we will have a look at them around the first of April. The spout seal rings of all three containers will be opened a half turn to break the seal and allow the cans to “Breath”, simulating a vented fuel tank, or at least poorly stored fuel.
Another set of samples of have been poured into 3 Canning Jars. 500 Grams (About a Pint) of E0, E10, and E85 were accurately measured into each glass jar. The seal lids have been turned upside down to prevent sealing and the sealing rings are loose and are just there to prevent the flat lids from sliding off and dirt/dust from entering. Again, simulating vented fuel tanks.
As an interesting additional experiment, so that there will be something to see in the event that nothing at all happens, a fourth jar was filled with 500g of E10 gasoline and water was added one drop at a time until phase separation just started to cloud the normally clear gas. Then 2 more drops were added to be certain the fuel was fully saturated.
Here is a photo of the four jars on Day Zero. A piece of blue tape was attached to the background to help show the condition of the contents. The E10 wet sample was initially cloudy. The water falls to the bottom of the jar after an hour making the gas appear clear. I have circled the size of the water pool as seen on the lower right-hand corner of the E10 Wet sample to record the size of the water puddle. The jar was re-shaken for the photo.
Another pair of samples of the E85 and E0 fuel in completely full Canning Jars have been saved. These will be used as reference samples to see how much water the open samples have absorbed over the winter. E10 is easy to come by, so in the spring, I will just obtain some fresh gas for the E10 comparison. Past experience has shown that 0.5% water absorption is the norm.
Day One (26 Oct 2018)…
The samples have been in the back garage for 24 hours. The samples were prepared at room temperatures near 75°F. It has been the in lower 40’s the last day. As might be expected, the water puddle in the E10 Wet sample has grown due to the fuel not being able to absorb as much water at lower temperatures. The bubble is now about 3 times the diameter it was at the start. None of the other samples are showing any water but all the samples are now about an 1/8 inch lower due to evaporation.
I invite you all along as we see what happens over the next 5 months.