Preliminary studies have shown that the electrical conductivity of engine exhaust gases changes during knocking combustion. According to the Saba equation, the conductivity should fall due to falling gas temperatures; however, as knocking combustion is reached, the conductivity ceases to fall even though the gas temperature drops most sharply in this range. Initial CFR findings show that this anomalous behavior is due to the production of small charged particles that scatter laser light and have a mobility of around 2.5 x 10 I CM22V-'S. 1. This proposal is for funds to investigate the source and nature of these particles with a view to obtaining a more detailed understanding of the mechanism that led to their formation. This fundamental knowledge may then provide directions to an understanding of the roles played by antiand pro-knock materials, as well as ways of preventing this form of anomalous combustion that damages engines and is a barrier to fuel economy.The potential commercial application as described by the awardee: This research may be applied to develop ways of raising the effective octane quality of gasolines through the use of non lead materials in fuels, and developing methods to eliminate "knock" in engines. Combustion and Fuel Research, Inc., is a high technology contract R&D company involved in all aspects of combustion and fuel technology.
