2014-11-25

"bife de atum" and a possible calderetta

I like fish more than beef, and it's not breaking news for those who know me. Today for the lunch I ate what the Portuguese call "bife de atum", basically a tuna steak that even resembles a beef steak at a first sight, garnished with corn, carrot, chopped potato, black eyed peas, onion and some spices. Catched some random small fish today, a good amount of small fish that may end up in a calderetta. Not so much liver oil could be extracted today.

2014-11-22

Talking to some fishermen about Evinrude outboards and that military version able to run on heavy fuels. I really cannot understand why it is not released into the civilian markets all around the world, because even enemies of America could work around other powerheads to use kerosene anyway. In Finland there was a version of an old Saab car adapted to use kerosene after the engine preheated with regular unleaded petrol.

2014-11-05

yes, waste frying oils are a good fuel for old-school engines

Many ppl still don't trust veggie fuels at all, not even the ethanol as a possible replacement for petrol, and get even more unfavorable to the usage of veggie oils for old diesel engines. It does work properly, better in a mechanical indirect injection, because lower pressure and slower combustion process starting at the prechambers allow to a more complete combustion of glycerin, so there are fewer residues to stick to the cylinder walls or the piston rings. Few adaptations can be adviced, mostly to pre-heat the oil in order to decrease its viscosity for an improved flow but may not be required at all. Unlike direct injection engines that may not just experience the acumulation of glycerin residues and lubricator oil contamination, indirect injection actually can achieve fuel savings in a magnitude greater than 20%. In a Toyota Hilux from mid 80s with the L-type engine, pretty much underpowered to be fair, it could return some 5.9L/100KM (17KM/L) and was a bit better throttle-responsive too.