Trade some fuel for water...

     With the cost of fuel rising again, I have been fielding alot of questions recently about turbo- diesels, combustion, and improvements for them.  One of the oldest ways to improve TD performance is still one of the best, easiest and most reliable methods to add power and efficiency without extra heat or significant cost.  This old but useful system has been improved by modern technology, materials and control alogrithms.  This simple add on that adds so much for so little relies on some basic properties of one of our most abundant resources on this planet: water.  (distilled- not out of a faucet).

Octane Number- is that like a phone number?

You notice the fuel gauge on your car is getting low and your favorite fuel station is just up ahead, so you stop in to fill-er-up. Do you choose the best fuel for your vehicle, or do you buy based on cost? Most fueling stations have 3 different grades of gasoline- have you ever wondered why?

Hey Mr? Whats efficiency mean?

    Heya there, Machine Whisperer back again, and pondering the idea of efficiency.  I often get asked to define efficiency and to help other folks understand what it means and why it matters. I hope this can clarify a bit more for those of you who have asked or just wondered about it.  
    We hear about fuel efficiency in cars, high efficiency washers and high efficiency LED lighting in the home- how does it all tie together?  Simply put, efficiency is the amount of energy you get out of a system compared to the amount of energy that had to be put in.  When we use energy in whatever form, some of it gets lost in conversion.