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There is no doubt that the energy per liter content will be somewhat lower, however it seems like there is more energy to have. The later is/was much more important from the European PoV, where there was no such thing as abundance of fuel, especially in tough times.I wonder what the BTUs per pound were or what the weight per gallon/liter were?
Use of some (?) alcohol may help the gasoline + water mixture stay mixed.
We can recall that the 2-stroke engines even today have separate tanks for both consumables - fuel and oil. A good number of cars used 2-stroke engines in the previous century, and the 2-stroke engines are used today on a wide scale, from chainsaws to the scooters.But both these kept the water/alcohol and gasoline/fuel in separate tanks and mixed them in the carb or intake systems and not as a combined fuel in one tank.
To me that would be the difficult part in practice as opposed to a laboratory.
A lot of the old two strokes just dumped the oil in with the gas. They also smoked a lot. Some owners had rituals as shaking the gas can around before refilling the lawn mower, chainsaw or even motorbike.
Shelf space is a lot less now that most gas already has alcohol in the US.
I can think of no better way to ruin your engine than to pour water into your gas tank. Gasoline and water don't mix.An interesting graph can be seen here.
It basically says that the gasoline that otherwise has the octance rating of 68 can be 'improved' wrt. the resistance to knocking via the addition of water, alcohol+water, only alcohol, as well as with water+alcohol mix together with the TEL. The later (w+a+TEL) addition can increase the octane rating to about 97 if it represensts 30% of the total fuel (ie. 70% is the 68 oct gasoline). Alcohol can do 94 oct if it is 30% of the total fuel. 80% alcohol + 20% water can do 92 oct under the same conditions. Last but not least, 30% of water (rest 70% being gasoline) moves the oct rating from 68 to 76-77.
French were experimenting with adding the water to the gasoline in the late 1930s with good results, but the benzene lobby was successful in prventing this to be implemented across the country. During the ww2, German authorities in Paris noted that the French were pouring water into the tanks of their gasoline-powered cars to gain as much mileage as possible.
I was just relaying the stuff I've readI can think of no better way to ruin your engine than to pour water into your gas tank. Gasoline and water don't mix.
"Two liquids that do not mix to an appreciable extent are called immiscible. Separate layers are formed when immiscible liquids are poured into the same container. Gasoline, oil (Figure 11.14), benzene, carbon tetrachloride, some paints, and many other nonpolar liquids are immiscible with water. Relatively weak attractive forces between the polar water molecules and the nonpolar liquid molecules are not adequate to overcome much stronger hydrogen bonding between water molecules. The distinction between immiscibility and miscibility is really one of extent, so that miscible liquids are of infinite mutual solubility, while liquids said to be immiscible are of very low (though not zero) mutual solubility."
The gasoline will float on the layer of water with disastrous results when the Frenchman starts his Renault and the water hits the pistons.11.3 Solubility - Chemistry 2e | OpenStax
As for any solution, the solubility of a gas in a liquid is affected by the intermolecular attractive forces between solute and solvent species. Unlike ...openstax.org
The turbocharged Oldsmobile F-75 Jetfire of 1962 had a water injection system
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/th...the-world-to-lightweight-boosted-performance/
Again note the completely separate system with the water/methanol injected close to the impeller inlet.
Note that judging an aircraft engine by it specific fuel consumption of gasoline does not tell the whole story. The extra tankage and pumps etc. add weight to the aircraft and of course the water itself has to be accounted for. Water injection systems were not introduced in aircraft to conserve precious fuel but to increase power in combat or in the case of bombers to increase power at take off.
On regular octane gasoline had to pull timing back quite a bit to avoid predetonation, since this motor I was running higher compression pistons to take advantage of Propane properties. With the Holley water injection, it helped out the gasoline side, but did little for when on propane
It did work well, but it was very hands on, nobody else could really drive it but me. Too many switches, dials and Blinkenlights for all the systems
Now with the electronics today, even an Arduino could automate all that, for knock sensors and Wide Band O2 to get great drivability, power and mileage. Would be awesome with even TBI fuel injection
And no diesel stink or clattering.(before people say 'why haven't they just used the diesel versions?' - good diesels were much more expensive, and there was no wide offering of Japanese or Korean diesels until 21st century; turbodiesels were more expensive still, while the naturally-aspirated ones were with low power when compared with gasoline engines; diesels back then were also 1st to make problems in cold temperatures)