Fuel Alternatives

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HEAT YOUR HOME WITH ALCOHOL Aint' nothin' at all to convert an oil-burner to use alcohol... and the homemade fuel works just fine,as this photo illustrates. Note the clear flame, a true indication of a"clean" burn. AND "MODIFY" AN ALCOHOL HEATER! As a part of our study of the potential of farm-produced ethanol, MOTHER'S researchers conducted a series of tests in which an average"gun-type oil burner was converted to run on this new fuel. The conversion itself isn't difficult... in fact, it involves nothing more than a simple adjustment on the unit's air valve (a part which is standard equipment on all oil-burning furnaces). Once this is done, the alcohol-consuming burner produces a nearly invisible blue flame…one that not only heats well, but combusts almost completely and leaves hardly any residue.
The oil burner we chose as a "guinea pig" is the type most often used to fire hot water tanks, although the same model could also be used in a space-heating system. The unit was designated Model AF, and manufactured by the Beckett Corporation of Elyria, Ohio. Original specifications called for No. 1 or No. 2 heating oil as a fuel source,and our burner was equipped with a .40 gallon-per-hour feed nozzle, although tips with a firing rate of up to 3 gallons per hour are available for additional heat output. Our experiments were designed to determine whether we could use low-strength alcohol and still produce an efficient "bum". In other words, proving that 200-proof (100%) alcohol worked in the burner would be fine, but—if the device could run well on a 160-proof mixture (80%ethanol and 20% water)—it would not only be more economical, but should provide more heat as well . . . since the steam generated during combustion would increase the fuel's total Btu output. With this in mind, MOTHER'S research team first fired the burner up with No. 2 fuel oil to observe its performance under "normal" use. As expected, the device produced a good amount of heat, but—even with the air intake adjusted to the optimum—the flame was yellow . . . hardly an indication of a “clean” burn. The next step was to drain the fuel oil from the system and fill our storage tank with 200-proof ethyl alcohol. After opening up the air valve to "lean out" the mixture pure alky needs plenty of oxygen if it's to combust efficiently), the researchers lit the "heater" again.And, following a bit of fine tuning, the burner threw out a clean blue flame! At that point, our shop crew reduced the strength of the alcohol slightly by adding some water (1.6 ounces of water added to 30.4 ounces of pure ethanol yields one quart of 190-proof—or 95%—alcohol) and ran that mixture through the system. Because of this "modification" to the fuel, the air valve had to be closed a bit before the burner produced the same high-quality, clear blue flame (the oxygen contained in water tends to "aerate" the combustion slightly). The same efficient burn proved to be possible down to a 150-prooffuel mixture (8 ounces of water and 24 ounces of ethyl alcohol). We did, however, have to continuously decrease the amount of air introduced into the burner as the proof strength dropped ... to compensate for the oxygen already contained in the diluted alcohol. Our testers did uncover one easily avoidable disadvantage concerning the 150 proof ethanol fuel, however: Because the liquid contained full 25% water, the pump mechanism on the burner apparently wasn't being fully lubricated and tended to whine while in operation. This problem was solved by installing a "T" fitting in the fuel line (on the suction side of the pump) and plumbing a small storage tank into the"T" . . . with a needle valve incorporated into the line between the two components. The boys then merely filled the tank with kerosene,adjusted the valve to admit lubricant by the drop, and put the furnace back into operation . . . this time without any noise. The kerosene, of course, burns after it passes through the pump, and— because of the minute quantity involved —doesn't affect the quality of the alcohol's combustion. (Note: Mom's researchers used a new burner unit for their tests, and the gears in the pump weren't fully "worn in" at the time.It's very likely that a well-used furnace pump wouldn't "complain" at all, though it would probably be a good idea to install the drip-feed lubrication system as a precaution . . . if you want to bum your alcohol at 150 proof.) So, as you can see, the conversion to alcohol doesn't involve any technical knowledge or intricate tools, and anyone with an oil-burning furnace can do it! Best of all, besides being more economical than heating oil, alcohol burns with an unbelievably clean flame . . .and—since the heat output is comparable to that of conventional fuels—the furnace still does the job it was intended to do ... but in much more efficient manner. Used with permission Mother Earth News
A Small scale water/ethanol stove! Click image for PDF