Is all gas the same?

[MikesZ06]

Gas is gas until just after it is loaded on your local tanker truck.

You see, the way the gasoline distribution works is actually quite scary. The oil is brought to the refinery and is of course refined into many different products and then stored until it is pumped into massive pipes that carry it to distibution facilities around the country. Sound simple? Well, it's actually a very complicated and computerized switching network.

Let's say exxon is scheduled to upload gasoline into pipeline #125 between 3pm and 5pm one day. They may pump 100,000 gallons of premium then follow it immediately with 100,000 gallons of regular (yes, the 2 grades will mix but this portion of the load is used by factories and other places where the grade is unimportant, didn't know that did ya!). Anyway, at the distribution facility, Shell may actually get Exxon's gasoline from the other end! The additives are not added to gasoline until the last minute when the fuel is being loaded into those 18 wheel tankers you see on the road.

To make it simple, all the refineries put in and they are allowed to take out whatever they put in......in fact, more often than not, the gas that they take is not theirs....

As a sidenote, before computers and precise computer controlled valves, "pigs" were used to seperate the grades of gas...These were huge chunks of rubber or other material that was inserted into the pipeline and removed at the other end....they are actually still used to clean the pipelines.

Bottom line....the only difference in gasoline is the type and amount of additive added at the end......

(information courtesy of JC)

Mike

[awd4life]

So is there a difference between 87 octane and 93 octane?

How do they change the level of combustibility to get a higher octane rating?

I am right is assuming that the higher the octane rating is, the higher the combustion threshold, and the more power that can be achieved?

[MikesZ06]

Originally Posted by awd4life

So is there a difference between 87 octane and 93 octane?

How do they change the level of combustibility to get a higher octane rating?

I am right is assuming that the higher the octane rating is, the higher the combustion threshold, and the more power that can be achieved?

I was quoting another individual who worked for an oil company so I can't say firsthand, however.....

from reading his words it appears to me that their is a diff between 87 and 93 octane but it is all caused by the additives put in at the final stage. That's the way I read it anyway...

Mike

[awd4life]

I guess that makes sense because you can buy octane boosters in auto parts stores that are basically just additives.

[daddysLBZ]

93 octane is just better at preventing detonation.