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An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without causing engine knocking.The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating.
In the United States and Canada, octane ratings are in AKI, commonly shown as "(R+M)/2". All states require gas pumps to be labeled with the correct octane level and nearly all states do regular testing to make sure gas stations are in compliance. A minimum 82 octane fuel is recommended for most vehicles produced since 1984.
Octane rating is measured relative to a mixture of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (an isomer of octane) and n-heptane. There are different conventions for expressing octane ratings, so the same physical fuel may have several different octane ratings based on the measure used. One of the best known is the research octane number (RON).
High percentage ethanol mixtures are used in some racing engine applications as the very high octane rating of ethanol is compatible with very high compression ratios. Ethanol fuel mixtures have "E" numbers which describe the percentage of ethanol fuel in the mixture by volume, for example, E85 is 85% anhydrous ethanol and 15% gasoline. Low ...
Motorsport engines often run on high-octane petrol and can therefore use higher compression ratios. For example, motorcycle racing engines can use compression ratios as high as 14.7:1, and it is common to find motorcycles with compression ratios above 12.0:1 designed for 95 or higher octane fuel.
Cars with gasoline direct injection (GDI) have been especially prone to carbon buildup, and car makers recommend fuels with higher detergent levels to combat the problem. [18] At first GDI was mainly available in high-end autos, but it is now being used in mid-range cars and economy cars, such as the Hyundai Sonata, Ford Focus and Hyundai Accent.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), as of March 2022, factors that affect the price of gasoline in the United States include the price of crude oil per barrel, costs and profits related to refining, distribution, and marketing, and taxes, along with the charge set by refiners for gasoline based on based on octane levels, with higher octane levels—premium grade cost ...
Fuel additives in general Ether and other flammable hydrocarbons have been used extensively as starting fluid for many difficult-to-start engines, especially diesel engines; Nitromethane, or "nitro", is a high-performance racing fuel; Acetone is a vaporization additive, mainly used with methanol racing fuel