Mike, here:
This graph from the Mbuttachusetts Insbreastute of Technology *might* teach you something. I emphasize "might" because you have shown yourself remarkably resistant to reality. The graph comes from this page:
Note that this page talks only about thermal efficiency: the amount of work extracted from a given amount of heat energy. So don't be trying to claim that all they are saying is burn more fuel to get more horsepower; that would be *more* heat energy, wouldn't it?
I've made a version of the graph with a couple of witness line pairs:
Note that efficiency increases from 0.6 to 0.7 from 10:1 to 20:1 compression ratio, and that the increase is almost linear in that area of the curve.
This means that at 15:1, you increase the work you get from the fuel you burn by about 0.05, or nearly 10%.
Do you get it yet?
So if you had an engine that could run on gasoline at a 10:1 compression ratio and switched it to use ethanol, you'd get 80% of the mileage if you considered energy density only, but if you raise the compression ratio to 15:1, you get 88% of the mileage.
-- Alan Baker Vancouver, British Columbia "If you raise the ceiling 4 feet, move the fireplace from that wall to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard."
