Tech Notes - 7/24/2000

During the past 25 years I have mixed my own fuel from the various components. Those being Nitromethane, Oil (synthetic and castor), some personal other ingredients, and methanol. I have been asked hundreds of times how I mix my fuel and what I suggest that someone use as their mixture. Now that Brian Callahan has served as our groups, resident engineer, mathematician, etc, etc, etc, we have a new item that should be VERY helpful to all whom mix their own fuel and others that wish they did.

I sent Brian an e-mail asking him to make a little Excel Sheet that would do some specific things. I asked him to make a sheet that allows someone to input specific percentages of various components (e.g., oil percentages, nitro percentages) and have the sheet output the measure of these components. This is what is listed as the "mixing" tab at the bottom of the spreadsheets.

First please go to this address and download the spreadsheet application, which will run in Microsoft Excel by clicking on this link.

After you have the sheet downloaded, click on it to open it and you will see the following:

By clicking the "mixing tab" you will see a sheet that looks like this:

This sheet will allow you to input data in the areas of the spreadsheet that are tinted pink. You choose (at the top of the sheet) the percentage of nitro you want, the percentage of oil#1 that you want, the percentage of oil#2 (maybe castor), the percentage of additive#1 (Maybe prope, maybe nothing), the percentage of additive#2 (maybe nothing or whatever you use). The amount of Methanol will be automatically calculated.

You then decide the amount of fuel that you want to mix and put that in the first column. The amount can be in ANY measurement unit (ounces, liters, cc, etc.)

The amount of each component will be outputted and you are set to mix some fuel.

I have some fuel I want to change to something else !

How about when you have an existing quantity of fuel that you want to be able to use, but not in its current configuration? Brian made another spreadsheet, which is the tab at the bottom called "reformulating".

This little applet will allow you to input the current amount, and configuration of a known "jug of fuel", and convert it to something completely different. This is something that I have had a need for a LONG time.

The sheet will look like this:

This sheet asks for input from you in the yellow shaded columns, which is the current quantity of fuel and its specifics. Input this data.

Next input the configuration and quantity of fuel you want to have when you are finished converting the known quantity of fuel.

The amounts of each component will be outputted in the light blue column and "presto" you will have a new jug of fuel which has been changed from one configuration to another.

Hope you enjoy this applet !!!

As time permits, I will try to do some more technical notes in the off season……..

Until then….still some racing to do.

Marty Davis