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Thread: ethanol removal

  1. #1

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    ethanol removal

    Does anyone know of a filter / machine /process to remove the ethanol from auto fuel? (on a large enough scale to be useful for cleaning up 15-20 gallons at a time) In the old days" they used a chamois (sp) to take the water out of fuel....wish it could be somethhing simple like that???-JWL

  2. #2
    Eric Witherspoon's Avatar
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    You could take a look at this:
    http://www.portablefuelsystems.com/AlcoholSeparator.htm
    The guy behind it does post on these forums. Out of the Phoenix, AZ area.
    There's another thread on one of the forums on here that went back and forth on this device and other processes. The conclusion I came away with is the device here does remove alcohol, but the resulting fuel does not meet a spec. So I guess in this case, it had better be for Experimental use only. Though at ~$2500 for the unit, you had better be burning a lot of auto gas, and getting your tax rebates from the state (for not using the fuel on-road) to make up the cost...

    For my economics, say the delta 100LL to autogas price (including tax rebate) is $2.50/gallon based on this week's prices in my area. That's 1000 gallons burned before the investment breaks even. Just checking my fuel log, I've burned 527 gallons in 3 1/2 years of operation. So that would be between 6 and 7 years for it to pay off for me, not including the added inconvenience of hauling the unit to the auto gas station and back for refills. If you're running more hours and/or a higher burn rate aircraft, it could pay off a lot quicker.
    Murphy's 13th: Every solution breeds new problems...

    http://www.spoonworld.com

  3. #3

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    The Process is called "Stripping" here is how it is done:
    Use a clear container and add 3 gallons of pump gas to one gallon of water and shake it up for a couple of minutes to thoroughly mixed the water with the alcohol. (Alcohol absorbs water) Once it settles down you will see a definite stratification of Gasoline and water. Siphon the gas into a gas can and you'll now have PURE gasoline.
    Be careful, the oct. is now unknown, because the refineries use Alcohol to set OCT levels.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by JW Lines View Post
    remove the ethanol from auto fuel?
    1. what would you use it in? you'd have no idea of the octane rating, etc., after removing components the oil company used to meet the spec.

    2. why not just buy no-booze gas in the first place?

    http://pure-gas.org/

  5. #5
    Joe Delene's Avatar
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    Easy to find non-ethanol fuel here in WI. I also have an ethanol test kit, to keep them honest.

  6. #6

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    Startron fuel treat is the best I've found to solve any ethanol problems and it keeps it fresh, too. See http://mystarbrite.com/startron/. It works as they say it does.
    Bob

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by dusterpilot View Post
    Startron fuel treat is the best I've found to solve any ethanol problems and it keeps it fresh, too. See http://mystarbrite.com/startron/. It works as they say it does.
    Bob
    wow - it's available at wal-mart - it must be good! seriously, though, it does look like a viable product. are YOU using it in YOUR aircraft?

  8. #8

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    For what its worth, the power boating community is dealing with the issue of alcohol in fuel also. Because of this, you can find gas that is alcohol free at marinas, although you would guess correctly if you guessed that they charge more than at the road side mini-mart. Star Tron is one tool that the boating folks are using to deal with the issue and it is being sold in some volume and appears to be very helpful. If the product was all hype and no results, or it hurt engines, in this internet age you would hear the screaming. There is no chemical magic about avgas, so if I had an experimental aircraft, I would likely not hesitate to add Star Tron to my fuel if I thought that it would help. After all, folks have been adding Marvel Mystery Oil to various blends of gas for years without apparent ill effect and maybe a little positive net.

    On the other hand, if you rework your fuel system and engine fuel control system to use gaskets, hoses, and assorted seals that do not react negatively with alcohol, then you could load up your local filling station's product and go flying. That might be easier than trying to separate the alcohol from the gas.

    So to make a short answer long, if you are looking for non-alcohol gas for your airplane, try a boat yard or marina.

    Best of luck,

    Wes
    N78PS

  9. #9

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    Thanks to all for your input. Unfortuneately it is very difficult to find pure gasoline here in AZ. so another solution will have to be used....the fuel additive sounds like the simplest at this point. Again thanks to all. FLY SAFE! JWL

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by cdrmuetzel@juno.com View Post
    \are YOU using it in YOUR aircraft?
    Yes, I use it in my Rotax 582 powered parachute with good results.
    bob

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