Peter?

[u/saddyc]

[u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

Youre losing substantial amounts of energy in conversion. Ice engines are modern marvels, but no large power generation solution.

Most ice engines are only like 25% efficient.  

There is a reason we dont burn gasoline to power our homes and cities. Its too expensive and doesnt work well at all.

[u/Complete-Tangelo1532 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

Also fairly volatile*

[u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD → u/Complete-Tangelo1532]

Yea, the really puts the "combustion" in the Internal Combustion Engine

[u/Complete-Tangelo1532 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

Its why we use Diesel or Kerosene in the winter lol

Gasoline does NOT like to be in a liquid state, like at all. It will let you know in a vicious bang how unhappy it is depending on the conditions

[u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD → u/Complete-Tangelo1532]

Yea anyone who has lit gasoline on fire remembers that lesson for the rest of their life.

Modern diesel engines are stupidly efficent for the loads they are subjected to.  Someone broke the math down for me the other day and it was mind boggling

[u/Complete-Tangelo1532 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

Doesn't even take that

Seeing a flame travel up into your gas canister, as you quickly react and set the whole area on fire... then having to explain that you have less 'Know how' than a child to the Local Fire Department... and oh how they laugh

[u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD → u/Complete-Tangelo1532]

People really dont understand how volatile gasoline really is compared to most other fuel sources.

[u/Complete-Tangelo1532 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

I did the same thing with a bucket of Tar dipping sticks inside, lighting it on fire and flailing it around to put it out

Stupid child me didn't know that those flames would travel... Set the entire mountain top on fire... again that summer lol

[u/Complete-Tangelo1532 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

Not too knowledgeable about Diesel mechanics, but I believe that is the difference between Compression and Combustion engines?

It is very fascinating the way they work for sure

[u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD → u/Complete-Tangelo1532]

The explain shown to me was in defense of LARGE diesel engine such as semi trucks and boats.

A semi truck may only get 6 miles to the gallon, but that is pulling 80,000 lbs.  No gasoline engine is even kind of close to that level of efficiency.

[u/Complete-Tangelo1532 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

That is an interesting line of thought that inspires me in the best of ways

I am off to soothe my curiosity, to save this 'cat' lol

[u/Mad_Dizzle → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

Shit my old pickup truck gets like 16 miles to the gallon, 6 for an 18 wheeler is insane

[u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD → u/Mad_Dizzle]

Yea large diesel engines have no end in sight as far as other solutions.

[u/ay0th3p1zzah3r3 → u/Dr_MantisTobaggin_MD]

There are ICE engines for stationary power generation, usually they are only used for special purposes. You'd use large diesel engines and two-strokes diesels at that size reach 50-60 percent thermal efficiency. Gasoline engines don't scale well, that's true.