Stove Fuel

[Timelord]

From my own recollection, an internal combustion engine is designed to run on a specific band of octane rating (cetane). Therefore when the petrol degrades and the octane rating reduces, then it will not readily explode to the required degree inside that design of engine.

Unless you require an explosion - which is not recommended for a stove - then the above should not matter. The petrol will still "burn" and be ignited manually readily enough. In an engine, the ratio of air to fuel is controlled. Outside of an engine this is not as critical. A stove will have a very rudimentary control of ratio if at all. Like I say, just to burn the petrol or petrol fuel mix should not be any problem. Degraded petrol will not have quite such a high energy value, but so far as to cook foodstuffs, it will not be that apparent.

A lamp that uses pressure to force the petrol to vapourise should still operate ok but may not be quite as bright on its max setting, although I think it would be hard to tell and the mantle (catalyst) may not notice the difference either.

I suppose there may come a point the petrol is degrading to the point it is seriously reduced in efficiency but I think this will be quite a way down the road.

You could always mix it with some home brewed distilled alcohol by then..:-)

Regards, TL.

(I.M.O.)

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Just seen the utube vid.

BIG :-)

That is an awesome stove. Is it one of those military vehicle kits? A German jobby?

Could you mount that on a backpack, like one of those Norweigan rucksack frames. Fit a higher pressure manual control flow valve and reduce the number of jets and possibly make the remaining ones larger?? Umm, toy time!