When going over the data sheet, pay close attention to the aromatics numbers as it's a requirement here by EPA standards. The fewer the aromatics, the better the burn characteristics of gasoline. In California the maximum is 35 percent aromatics, but it does not need to reach that percentage. The other portion to pay close attention to is the ethanol content (EtOH). You can gain horsepower from it because of its oxygen content.
Testing stages for fuel
The commonly used Petrospec GS1000 analyzer breaks down the gasoline content and collects data on the various types of oxygenates and hydrocarbons within the gas. The API Gravity is the test using the dydrometer and is not connected to the Petrospec unit. Testing reveals an API or specific gravity on each of the seven samples. API stands for the American Petroleum Institute which is the widely used format for hydrometers. Specific gravity tells us the density of the gasoline, which is defined as the weight of the gasoline relative to water.
The GS1000 uses an infrared spectrum to inspect the fuel. With the spectrum, lines will sometimes get close together and cause an overlap, resulting in an error. "There's a little bit of scatter that shows up-I'm going to tell you that up front. No test is perfect," said Wusz.
The last column of the chart, which is listed as (loss corr) or corrected distillation, is most important. The 90 percent point on the charts is the main focus when analyzing a specific racing gasoline. When comparing a 100-octane measuring 221.2F with another at 349.4F, the gas with the lower temperature will vaporize easier and convert chemical energy into mechanical energy. "Anytime you have high fuel mixture and a high temperature, a small portion of the gasoline will not vaporize correctly. This not only affects emissions but also robs the car of power.
A second test runs a distillation through each of the seven gasolines and analyzes the temperature at which the various percentages of the gasoline blends will vaporize. An example would be water, which boils at 212F. In some gasolines the hydrocarbons boil below 100F while others react at 400F.
After our testing, we found the majority of fuels displayed an AKI number close to our highly missed 92-octane gasoline. Many of the fuels were similar in testing, with only slight variances in additives and chemical compositions. So what is the best fuel out on the market today? It's hard for us to argue one fuel over another, but hopefully these charts and testing will help readers determine which fuel best suits one's needs.
Gasoline myths: (These are true if there is no detonation.)1. High octane can minimize engine fatigue and stress.2. High octane does not make your car faster.3. High octane does not give you better fuel economy.4. High octane will not magically repair problems within the engine.
Gasoline terminologyAromatics (Arom):A chemical compound comprised of a hydrocarbon chain in a circular shape. California used to have higher levels of Aromatics within unleaded, but over the years engineers and gasoline companies have learned to maintain consistent octane numbers while minimizing aromatics.
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