Does Premium Gasoline Have More Energy Than Regular?

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

No, if the timing of an engine is fixed, it makes the same power (cylinder pressure) independent of the octane you put in.

The only variance would be how the fuel was blended, since you have have higher or lower BTU at different octane ratings. It isn't because of octane, it is because of the chemicals that aren't gasoline.

Again, you are trying to make octane into something it isn't.

I’m not holding the engine variable constant...

 

[CarlB]

I’m not holding the engine variable constant...

Both fuels can have the exact same power. The benefit to octane is knock prevention. It doesn't create more power .

 

[CarlB]

Some of ya'll need to go back and read the original post . This as usual has gotten way off track .

"Question regarding automotive gasoline. Does premium gasoline have more energy per unit volume, than regular gasoline?"
It's a bad question. You can't determine the BTU based on octane.

It's like asking if we can tell the energy per volume based on the color of the fuel.

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

Both fuels can have the exact same power. The benefit to octane is knock prevention. It doesn't create more power .

You’re still misunderstanding me. Cheers man, I’m not going to keep trying to explain it.

 

[CarlB]

You’re misunderstanding me.

Maybe, I'm going based on description. An engine that makes more power because you put 93 octane in it, isn't making more power because of some potential or reduced loss of the engine. It's just now not retarding ignition timing due to knock sensor feedback. That's only if it was experiencing knock in the first place.

 

[nomas]

Question regarding automotive gasoline. Does premium gasoline have more energy per unit volume, than regular gasoline?
IMPORTANT: This is not an octane or anti-knock question.

Stated otherwise, in laboratory conditions with a single cylinder test motor of nominal compression; if the same amount of premium gasoline and regular gasoline is burned, which would produce more work? HP or Joules, etc.

 

[CarlB]

@nomas, it's not a valid test because the mixture of gasoline varies. We can mix to make either 87 or 93 have more HP/Joules in this mythical lab test. Because testing premium vs regular has nothing to do with stored energy and it's only related to knock protection.

The OP asked a bad question.