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Semi-Trailer Truck Mileage Increases 4% with Acetone Added to Fuel
Adding 2 oz of acetone per 10 gallons of diesel fuel gave a modest
increase in mileage.
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2005
1999 Volvo VNL w/12 Liter Detroit Diesel,
Series 60 Engine
(Note: STOCK Picture of make/model truck. Not actual truck) |
CHICAGO, IL, USA -- After a month and a half of
testing over thousands of miles in his semi-trailer truck, Brian Sizemore has
released his results showing a modest increase in mileage by adding a small
portion of acetone to his diesel fuel.
Allegedly, acetone decreases the surface tension of fuel and enables a more
complete burn, increasing the mileage and performance; and has not been shown to
have any damaging effects on the robust fuel line components of the engine. (Ref.
1, Ref.
2)
Using an approximate ratio of 2 ounces of acetone per ten gallons of fuel,
Sizemore's mileage went from 6.72 mpg to 7.02 mpg, an increase of 4%.
Sizemore drove 4,154 miles on 618.6 gallons of diesel fuel without acetone,
from April 5 to April 15, 2005. Then, from April 18 to May 20, he drove
12,452 miles on 1773.8 gallons of diesel fuel with acetone added. (See data.)
The 342 ounces (2.7 gallons) of total acetone added over the 12,452 miles cost
Sizemore around $35 (estimate from Home Depot quote: $12.97/gallon).
Meanwhile, his fuel savings over that same distance came to $166, bringing his
net savings to $131.
Radio talk show
host and truck driver, James Aurthur Jancik, an associate of Sizemore, has seen
higher mileage improvements -- between 6% and 7% increase -- in his semi trailer
truck, with the same concentration of acetone added. (Ref)
A primary difference is the age of their trucks. Jancik's truck is older and its
engine is not as efficient to begin with, so the improvements in fuel combustion
that acetone provides are more marked in his case. Also, James says his loads
are usually a lot heavier, and he drives slower. Both of these factors
contribute to explaining why there is such a difference in gain from adding
acetone to their fuel.
Sizemore's results are particularly noteworthy for several reasons. First,
his route is the same each day, as he delivers for the U.S. Postal
Service. Second, before adding acetone, he documented eight days of
driving without, to give an accurate control comparison -- a step often
overlooked by individuals testing mileage enhancement claims. Third, he
fuels up at the same gas stations, reducing fluctuations that might be
introduced from variations in fuel brands.
Significant variables outside his control included load size; varying from full
to empty; weather and temperature fluctuations; and traffic conditions.
Of course the ideal test would be a bench-top-mounted engine attached to a
high-precision dynamometer, with highly accurate fuel tank and exhaust
measurement systems. Such a in
vitro testing is reportedly being run by another party to check effects
of acetone in a regular gasoline engine, and those results should be
forthcoming.
Meanwhile, all things considered, Sizemore's results for his semi truck do
approach a basic level of "scientific" when it comes to an in
vivo study for fuel economy.
The curve generated by Louis LaPointe, who is a long-time proponent and
investigator of adding acetone to fuel, would suggest that the optimal ratio of
acetone to fuel would be 1.5 ounces per 10 gallons. See line D in the
following chart.
According to this graph, considering cost of acetone
versus return in fuel economy, the optimal concentration of acetone in a diesel
engine would be around 1.5 oz acetone per 10 gallons diesel. A follow-up
experiment, therefore, would be to try that concentration, then to try 2 oz
acetone / 10 gallons in yet another experiment.
# # #
DATA
NOTE: To calculate the total acetone used in this
experiment, we counted the first amount as 8.5 oz per tank, rather than the 58
oz required to bring both tanks up to a concentration of 2 oz / 10
gallons. Including that initial amount increases the tally of the cost
of acetone even more than cited above.
SOURCE:
Sizemore data furnished by James Arthur Jancik. James hosts our weekly
"This Week in Free Energy"
show.
See also
Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan June 13, 2005
Last updated October 06, 2005
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