Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

  Alcohol has a lot less energy per unit weight/volume,
but you can run it at a high compression without the
fear of detonation/pre-ignition.  I think 13:1 was
the compression ratio for pure alcohol IC engines.
If I'm not mistaken, they use methanol in the Indy
type race cars.  If you see the pit workers hopping
around like madmen while or just after fueling, it may
be an alcohol fire whose flames are invisible in the
bright sunlight.  It has happened and I've seen it,
in real time, on TV.

  Grain alcohol is the best.  You can steam with it,
run it in a race car engine, or drink it for pleasure,
diluted, of course.

Have fun steaming,
Wayne