Fuel benchmark

[exFSAE]

Anyone tried one? We have the thread about race oil, why not race fuel.

Happened to be on the AUS Motec website the other day, and found this..


Executive Summary

Fuel comparison tests were performed on three leading brand high octane fuels; Shell V-Power Racing and two Premium 98 Octane fuels (brands X and Y), under strictly controlled conditions. Tests were performed using a current model Mitsubishi Evo IX 2ltr turbocharged engine* mounted to an engine dynamometer cell. Tests were conducted using the standard Mitsubishi ECU and a MoTeC Plug In M800 ECU. No modifications were made to the engine.

The results of the testing clearly indicated that:

1. Tuning of engines is required to obtain the maximum benefit from any fuel.
2. There can be significant performance benefits to the fitting of a MoTeC Engine Control Unit (ECU), even without engine modifications.
3. Shell V-Power Racing 100 Octane fuel consistently delivered significantly more torque (up to 10.7%) and engine horsepower (up to 4.6%) than other commercially available high octane fuels in the retail market.

In addition, limited testing of Aviation Fuel (Av Gas) was also carried out. Initial results showed that V-Power Racing was superior in its detonation resistance and able to make more power than the tested Av Gas.

That is interesting. 10%?? Quite a bit!!

[exFSAE]

Anyone tried one? We have the thread about race oil, why not race fuel.

Happened to be on the AUS Motec website the other day, and found this..

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Executive Summary

Fuel comparison tests were performed on three leading brand high octane fuels; Shell V-Power Racing and two Premium 98 Octane fuels (brands X and Y), under strictly controlled conditions. Tests were performed using a current model Mitsubishi Evo IX 2ltr turbocharged engine* mounted to an engine dynamometer cell. Tests were conducted using the standard Mitsubishi ECU and a MoTeC Plug In M800 ECU. No modifications were made to the engine.

The results of the testing clearly indicated that:

1. Tuning of engines is required to obtain the maximum benefit from any fuel.
2. There can be significant performance benefits to the fitting of a MoTeC Engine Control Unit (ECU), even without engine modifications.
3. Shell V-Power Racing 100 Octane fuel consistently delivered significantly more torque (up to 10.7%) and engine horsepower (up to 4.6%) than other commercially available high octane fuels in the retail market.

In addition, limited testing of Aviation Fuel (Av Gas) was also carried out. Initial results showed that V-Power Racing was superior in its detonation resistance and able to make more power than the tested Av Gas. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That is interesting. 10%?? Quite a bit!!

[Fyhr]

But the rules clearly state the allowed fuels at the competition, supplied at the competition (at least in the UK). So why go thru alot of tuning for a fuel that is not allowed?

[exFSAE]

a) The effect and variation is good to know anyway.

b) Knowing the above would be good to see if you HAVE to tune to the specific competition blend or if you can get away with something else (cheaper or more available).

Maybe particularly for foreign teams coming to US competitions, where fuel blends can be significantly different.

[R/TErnie]

I suppose the appropriate test would be to run all the different brands of "pump gas" on the dyno and have a specific tune for each...so when comp comes around you have a map for that specific fuel on file. If not a generality of I need to scale the entire fuel map by 2% when using x brand of fuel.

Interesting! Plus you might note the additives for the winter months that wont be there in June/July.

[VFR750R]

Not to discredit the test, since i know nothing about it, but i've never heard of any 'gasoline' being able to increase torque by 10.7% over another similar octane gasoline. I suspect the increased detonation resistance of the shell provided room for more boost, or burn rates differed enough to do the same. That is somewhat confirmed to me by the hp increase being only half the torque increase.

I'd like more details, or the test to be performed on a high performane naturally aspirated engine.

That said, i don't doubt shell racing gas is better on mitsu evo IX engines tuned with a motec m800.