Avgas is a high-octane fuel used for aircraft and, in the past, racing cars. Avgas is a portmanteau for aviation gasoline, as distinguished from mogas (motor gasoline), which is the everyday gasoline used in cars. Avgas is used in aircraft that use piston or Wankel engines; gas turbines can operate on avgas, but typically do not. Turbine and diesel engines are designed to use kerosene-based jet fuel. This does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... A portmanteau (IPA pronunciation: ) is a word or morpheme which fuses two or more words or parts of words to give a combined or loaded meaning. ... Gasoline (or petrol) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of hydrocarbons and enhanced with benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... Karl Benzs Velo (vélo means bicycle in French) model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race 2005 MINI Cooper S. An automobile (also motor car or simply car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... Components of a typical, four stroke cycle, DOHC piston engine. ... Wankel Engine in Deutsches Museum Munich, Germany The Wankel rotary engine is a type of internal combustion engine, invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, which uses a rotor instead of reciprocating pistons. ... This machine has a single-stage centrifugal compressor and turbine, a recuperator, and foil bearings. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Kerosene or paraffin oil (British English, not to be confused with the waxy solid also called paraffin wax or just paraffin) is a colorless flammable hydrocarbon liquid. ... Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in jet-engined aircraft. ...

Avgas properties and varieties

Avgas has a lower volatility than mogas (i.e. it does not evaporate as quickly), which can be important for high-altitude use and higher temperatures. The particular mixtures in use today are the same as when they were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s, and therefore the high-octane ratings are achieved by the addition of tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), a highly toxic substance that was phased out for car use in most countries in the 1980s. The main petroleum component used in blending avgas is alkylate, which is essentially a mixture of various isoctanes, and some refineries also use some reformate. This does not cite any references or sources. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Tetra-ethyl lead (also known as TEL, lead tetraethyl and tetraethyllead) is a toxic organometallic chemical compound, with formula (CH3CH2)4Pb, which was once used as a gasoline (petrol) additive. ... This article cites very few or no references or sources. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... STRATCO Contactor™ Reactor Sulfuric Acid Alkylation Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. ... R-phrases , , , , S-phrases , , , , , , , Flash point 4. ... Reformate is the hydrocarbon mixture output of a catalytic reformer unit on a crude oil refinery. ...

Avgas is currently available in several grades with differing maximum lead concentrations. Since TEL is a rather expensive additive, a minimum amount of it is typically added to the fuel to bring it up to the required octane rating so actual concentrations are often lower than the maximum.

Jet fuel is not avgas. It is similar to kerosene and is used in turbine engines. In Europe, environmental and cost considerations have led to increasing numbers of aircraft being fitted with highly fuel-efficient diesel engines; these too run on jet fuel. Civilian aircraft use Jet-A, Jet-A1 or in severely cold climates Jet-B. There are other classification systems for military turbine and diesel fuel. See Jet fuel. Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in jet-engined aircraft. ... Kerosene or paraffin oil (British English, not to be confused with the waxy solid also called paraffin wax or just paraffin) is a colorless flammable hydrocarbon liquid. ... Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in jet-engined aircraft. ...

Gasoline

Gasoline used for aviation fuel generally has two numbers associated with its octane rating. Examples of this include the (now almost completely unavailable) 80/87 avgas, and the 100/130 avgas. The first number indicates the octane rating of the fuel tested to "aviation lean" standards, which is similar to the Motor Octane Number (MON) rating given to automotive gasoline. The second number indicates the octane rating of the fuel tested to the "aviation rich" standard, which tries to simulate a supercharged condition with a rich mixture, elevated temperatures, and a high manifold pressure. Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of hydrocarbons and enhanced with benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... A gas station pump offering five different octane ratings. ...

100LL, spoken as "100 low lead", contains a lead based anti-knock compound but less than the "highly-leaded" 100/130 avgas it effectively replaced. Most piston aircraft engines require 100LL but it is scheduled to be phased out in the United States because of the lead toxicity. An alternative fuel has not yet been developed for these engines. While there are similar engines that burn non-leaded fuels aircraft are often purchased with engines that use 100LL because many airports only have 100LL. 100LL contains a maximum of 2 grams of lead per US gallon, or maximum 0.56 grams/litre and is the most commonly available and used aviation gasoline. (Redirected from 100LL) Avgas is a high-octane fuel used for aircraft and, in the past, racing cars. ... General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ... Knocking (also called pinking or pinging)— colloquially detonation—in internal combustion engines occurs when air/fuel mixture in the cylinder has been ignited by the spark plug and the smooth burning is interrupted by the unburned mixture in the combustion chamber exploding before the flame front can reach it. ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ...

82UL is an unleaded fuel similar to automobile gasoline but without additives. It may be used in aircraft that have a Supplemental Type Certificate for the use of automobile gasoline with an aviation lean octane rating (MON) of 82 or less or an antiknock index of 87 or less. It may not be used in engines that require 100LL. See Octane Rating. The FAA highly recommends installing placards stating the use of 82UL is or is not approved on those airplanes that specify unleaded autogas (mogas) as an approved fuel^[1]. This does not cite any references or sources. ... Gasoline (or petrol) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ...

Gasoline (MOGAS) may be used in aircraft that have a Supplemental Type Certificate for automotive gasoline. Most of these applicable aircraft have low-compression engines which were originally certified to run on 80/87 avgas and require only "regular" 87 anti-knock index automotive gasoline. Examples of this include the popular Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee with the 150 hp variant of the Lycoming O-320. Some aircraft engines were originally certified using a 91/96 avgas and have STC's available to run "premium" 91 anti-knock index automotive gasoline. Examples of this include some Cherokee's with the 160 hp Lycoming O-320 or 180 hp O-360 or the Cessna 152 with the O-235. Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of hydrocarbons and enhanced with benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... A Type Certificate (sometimes called Airworthiness Certificate), is awarded by aviation regulating bodies (such as FAA in US and EASA in EU) to aerospace firms after it has been established that the particular design of aircraft, engines or propeller submitted has fulfilled the the regulating bodies current prevailing airworthiness requirements... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Cessna 172RG Cessna 172 instrument panel 1964 Cessna 172E 1965 Cessna F172G 1971 Cessna 172 The early Cessna 172 Skyhawks had no rear window and featured a square fin design, like this 1957 model 1977 Cessna 172M Cessna 172R Panel of C-GLFC The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four... Piper Cherokee PA-28-181 (Archer II) Piper PA-28 Cherokee 180E Cherokee is the common name for the Pipers PA-28 family of aircraft models, which received its type certificate from the FAA in 1960 and is still under production by Piper Aircraft. ... The Lycoming O-320 is a normally-aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engine commonly used on entry-level aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The Lycoming O-320 is a normally-aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engine commonly used on entry-level aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. ... The Lycoming O-360 is an air-cooled, carbureted, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed piston aircraft engine. ... The Cessna 152 is a two-seat, fixed tricycle gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training, touring, and personal flying. ... A Lycomiing O-235-C2C engine mounted in an American Aviation AA-1 Yankee light aircraft The Lycoming O-235 is a family of four cylinder, air-cooled, horizontally-opposed aircraft engines that produce between 100 and 135 hp. ...

Avgas 80/87 has the lowest lead content at a maximum of 0.5 grams lead per U.S. gallon, and is only used in low compression ratio engines. BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... The gallon (abbreviation: gal) is a unit of volume. ...

Avgas 100/130 is a higher octane grade aviation gasoline, containing a maximum of 4 grams of lead per US gallon, maximum 1.12 grams/litre. 100LL "low lead" was designed to replace avgas 100/130. The litre or liter (U.S. spelling, see spelling differences) is a unit of volume. ...

In the past other grades were also available, particularly for military use, such as avgas 115/145 and 91/96. Note that the octanes of avgas cannot be directly compared to those of mogas, as a different test engine and method is used to determine the octane. The first (lower) number is the lean mixture rating, the second (higher) number is the rich mixture rating. For mogas, the octane rating is typically expressed in the U.S. as an anti-knock index (known as "pump rating"), which is the average of the octane rating based on the research and motor test method ((R+M)/2). Bendix-Technico (Stromberg) 1-barrel downdraft carburetor model BXUV-3, with nomenclature The carburetor, carburettor, or carburetter (see spelling differences), also called carb (in North America) or carbie (chiefly in Australia) for short, is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. ... Bendix-Technico (Stromberg) 1-barrel downdraft carburetor model BXUV-3, with nomenclature The carburetor, carburettor, or carburetter (see spelling differences), also called carb (in North America) or carbie (chiefly in Australia) for short, is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Research is a human activity based on intellectual investigation and aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of the world. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Fuel dyes aid pilots in identifying the proper fuel in their aircraft. 80/87 is red, 100/130 is green, 115/145 is purple and 100LL is blue, while jet fuel, JET A1, is clear or straw, being undyed. Untaxed diesel fuel for off-road use is also dyed red. Fuel dyes are dyes added to fuels, as in some countries it is required by law to dye a low-tax fuel to deter its use in applications intended for higher-taxed ones. ... Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625–750 nm. ... Mossy, green fountain in Wattens, Austria. ... YOU SUCK!!!!! ... Look up dye in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The annual U.S. usage of avgas was 236 million gallons (893 million liters) in 2006. ^[2]

Avgas compared to other fuels

Many general aviation aircraft engines were designed to run on 80/87 octane, roughly the standard for automobiles today. Direct conversions to run on automotive fuel are fairly common and applied via the supplemental type certificate (STC) process. However, the alloys used in aviation engine construction are rather outdated, and engine wear in the valves is a potential problem on automotive gasoline conversions. Fortunately, significant history of mogas-converted engines has shown that very few engine problems are actually caused by automotive gasoline. A larger problem stems from the wider range of allowable vapor pressures found in automotive gasoline; this can pose some risk to aviation users if fuel system design considerations are not taken into account. Automotive gasoline can vaporize in fuel lines causing a vapor lock (a bubble in the line), starving the engine of fuel. This does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle, but merely requires examination of the fuel system, ensuring adequate shielding from high temperatures and maintaining sufficient pressure in the fuel lines. This is the main reason why both the specific engine model as well as the aircraft in which it is installed must be supplementally certified for the conversion. A good example of this is the Piper Cherokee with high-compression 160 hp or 180 hp engines. Only later versions of the airframe with different engine cowling and exhaust arrangements are applicable for the automotive fuel STC, and even then require fuel system modifications. General aviation (abbr. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A Type Certificate (sometimes called Airworthiness Certificate), is awarded by aviation regulating bodies (such as FAA in US and EASA in EU) to aerospace firms after it has been established that the particular design of aircraft, engines or propeller submitted has fulfilled the the regulating bodies current prevailing airworthiness requirements...

Vapor lock typically occurs in fuel systems where a mechanically-driven fuel pump mounted on the engine draws fuel from a tank mounted lower than the pump. The reduced pressure in the line can cause the more volatile components in automotive gasoline to flash into vapor, forming bubbles in the fuel line and interrupting fuel flow. If an electric boost pump is mounted in the fuel tank to push fuel toward the engine, as is common practice in fuel-injected automobiles, the fuel pressure in the lines is maintained above ambient pressure, preventing bubble formation. Likewise, if the fuel tank is mounted above the engine and fuel flows primarily due to gravity, as in a Cessna high-wing airplane, vapor lock cannot occur, using either aviation or automotive fuels.

In addition to vapor locking potential, automotive gasoline does not have the same quality tracking as aviation gasoline. To help solve this problem, an aviation fuel known as 82UL has recently been introduced. This fuel is essentially automotive gasoline that has additional quality tracking and restrictions on permissible additives.

The main consumers of avgas at present (mid-2000s) are in North America, Australia, Brazil, and Africa (mainly South Africa). The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

In Europe, avgas prices are so high that there have been a number of efforts to convert the industry to diesel instead, which is common, inexpensive and has a number of advantages for aviation use. However, avgas remains the most common fuel in Europe as well. World map showing the location of Europe. ... Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913), inventor of the diesel engine. ...

Properties

Avgas has a density of 6.02 lb/US gallon at 15 °C, or 0.72 kg/l, and this density is commonly used for weight and balance computation. Density increases to 6.40 lb/US gallon at -40 °C, and decreases by about 0.5% per 5 °C increase in temperature.^[3] In physics, density is mass m per unit volume V. For the common case of a homogeneous substance, it is expressed as: where, in SI units: ρ (rho) is the density of the substance, measured in kg·m-3 m is the mass of the substance, measured in kg V is... The gallon is a unit of volume used for measuring liquids (as well as dry matter). ... The degree Celsius (symbol: °C) is an SI derived unit of temperature. ... The center-of-gravity (CG) is the point at which an aircraft would balance if it were possible to suspend it at that point. ...

External links

• http://www.eaa.org/education/fuel - Experimental Aircraft Association
• http://www.age85.org [Aviation Grade Ethanol]
• http://www.ethanolmt.org/php/novdec05.php ["Shauck and his wife flew a single-engine airplane across the Atlantic Ocean in 1989, using 100% Ethanol"]

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. ...

References