From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

What if you could fill your engine in your car with gasoline, ethanol, biodiesel or butanol?  What if you could put any type of those fuels in and not have to worry about it actually running.  What if this was a reality?

What if that aforementioned engine could also run at Peak efficiency no matter what type of fuel mix that happened to be inside the engine?  That’d be pretty amazing huh?  That “what if” might eventually be a reality as the U.S. Department of Energy is currently working on an “omnivorous” engine that could potentially do exactly that.  The basic idea is, the engine will use a plethora of sensors that can automatically detect the type and blend of fuel that is currently being used and then, if it is not running at its peak level of efficiency, “it will make adjustments to parameters like spark timing and injection strategy.”  Wow.

The best part about all of this is the fact that the U.S. Department of Energys’ Argonne Lab is working to make this not only amazing, but extremely cost-effective and mass-produceable and allow vehicle manufacturers the ability to put it in a great deal of new cars rather soon.  I don’t know about you, but the ability to switch it up whenever you need would be a great, welcome advance to technology and would afford people the opportunity to use the type of fuel that is readily available to them at the best cost.  Not bad guys, not bad at all!