WATER IN PETROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22262, 9 November 1935, Page 9 (Supplement)

WATER IN PETROL

RECENT EXPERIMENTS PERFORMANCE IMPROVES Tho use of water as a supplementary fuel to petrol is not n novel idea, and for many years research has proceeded in that direction. I Recently demonstrations of a secret fuel were mado at Brooklnmls when 13 per cent of tap water was added to other ingredients, and the performance of the car tested was notably better than that secured with ordinary petrol. It has often been found that engines seem to run better nt night, or during foggy or wet weather, a probable explanation being that the humidity of tho atmosphere causes better volumetric efficiency, sinco tho density of the mixturo drawn into the cylinders is increased. Jt might tfierefore be thought that if it were possible to introduco a proper proportion of water vapour by artificial means, greater power output would bo secured, as well as a reduction of petrol consumption. That most likely is the case, and among experiments which have been made was the use of water instead of oil in an upper-cylinder lubricator. But one of the possible disadvantages is corrosion. It is now accepted that corrosion duo to acids which are the products of combustion is one of the main causes of cylinder wear, and it is not unlikely that the presence of an excessive amount of water in the mixture would aggravate that trouble.