Week Five

The engine has arrived and we have set upon the daunting task of assembling it correctly. The group has determined that measuring the temperature of the exhaust would be the most efficient method of measuring efficiency. After assembly is completed, we will get cylinders of ethanol and hydrogen and find a safe place to conduct the experiment. The initial trial will run the engine on pure ethanol to measure its efficiency alone. Once this is complete, it will be compared to an ethanol/hydrogen fuel. The efficiency of the fuels will be considered in terms of cost per kilo-BTU. If these ratios are proven to be near or exceeding those of common gasoline, an argument for the cleaner fuel source could be made.