Ethanol racing fuels

Alcohols are some of the most common organic compounds. Methyl alcohol (methanol), also known as wood alcohol, is used as an industrial solvent and as an automotive racing fuel. Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is sometimes called grain alcohol because it is produced by the fermentation of grain or almost any other organic material. Isopropyl alcohol is the common name for propan-2-ol, used as rubbing alcohol. ... 

The use of methanol or ethanol as fuels started with the replacement of steam engines for farm machinery and train locomotives and, at the end of the nineteenth century, alcohols were used in internal combustion engines (ICE). During the first decade of the twentieth century, alcohols lost the race against gasoline-powered automobiles, even when they released less contaminants, a fact that deserved not concern at that time. The main reason for that was economic alcohols could not... 

T. PoweU, "Racing Experiences with Methanol and Ethanol Based Motor-Fuel Blends," paper 750124, Automotive Engineering Congress and Exposition, Society of Automotive Engineers, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 1975. 

Like methanol, ethanol is a good motor fuel, with similar advantages and disadvantages. The race cars at the Indianapolis 500 have used ethanol as their primary fuel since 2006. A car s carburetor must be adjusted (for a richer mixture) and fitted with alcohol-resistant seals if it is to run on pure ethanol. Solutions of about 10% ethanol in gasoline ( gasohol ) work well without any adjustments, however. 

T. Powell, "Racing Experiences with Alethanol and Ethanol-based Alotor Fuel Blends," SAE Paper 750124, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pa., Feb., 1975. 

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