Gas or Diesel?

[SiegeLion]

It’s cool that there are Diesel and Gas engines, and it seems Military vehicles use Diesel most commonly, I’ve got a Military Flatbed and an APC sitting at base, ready for me to tear them apart and rebuild them into a mobile death fortress, as well as about 20 Electric Cars, but before I get to work creating anything, I’ve got a few questions.

Is there a difference between gas and diesel, other than them requiring different tanks and engines?

Do the gas stations have diesel pumps or just gas?

Is it possible to build a vehicle that can run on both Gas and Diesel? Maybe throw some Solars on there too?

Which do you prefer between Gas and Diesel and why?

[Derpislav]

1. I haven’t noticed any, at least when used as a fuel. I think diesel can not be used to craft. Don’t quote me on that.

2. They have both - it’s decided randomly, but it seems like gas pumps spawn more often.

3. Diesel-electric and gas-diesel hybrids are possible. No gas-diesel for you.

4. Depends on the spawn rate of military vehicles. Gas is more universal.

[Wikrin]

Hm… Can you make biodiesel? I recently had a discussion with my brother regarding the viability of rendering zombie corpses down, turning the fat into biodiesel, using that to drive around post-apocalypse. The only consensus we could reach was that it would be gross.

[SiegeLion]

I found a second APC, got everything prepared and then realised that I don’t have a damn welder, and I’m not willing to use duct tape to strap my mobile base together.

Biodiesel made from zombie corpses would be damn cool though

Thanks Derpislav, based on that I’m likely going to go with a Gas-Electric, the amount of Gas lying around is ridiculous, I may as well use whatever is more available.

[NOMOETOE]

Meh I just use electric engines. I save the gas for flamethrower rampages.

[SiegeLion]

I have 12 useable solar panels, will that be enough for an electric only?

[Coolthulhu]

Biggest engines are gas, gas is more readily available and gas engines consume a tiny bit less electricity. Diesel engines have very slightly better safe speeds and more power at a given weight.

V12 is better than biggest diesel engine available, but it doesn’t matter much unless you’re building a gargantuan monstrosity.

I have 12 useable solar panels, will that be enough for an electric only?

Only if you sleep near your car and don’t drive all day. Each panel supplies only 111 energy at full capacity (sunny day) and proportionally less if it’s less sunny. A large electric engine consumes maximum of 137000 energy (this is the usage at full speed) and proportionally less at lower speeds. Non-large electric engine is slightly more efficient, but only a tiny bit.

So if your max speed is say, 200, your solar panels would supply only about 1% as much as your engine consumes at 200 speed, 2% of energy at 100 speed, 10% at 20 speed.
It’s OK if you spend a lot of time sitting around. Try to sleep in or near your car as often as possible, craft a lot and install a ton of batteries and it will work. If you get a chemical rig, go to a swamp and craft a lot of salt while your batteries charge.

[mwswimmer]

Diesel motors have no ignition system, and that helps deal with the threat of an EMP(Electro Magnetic Pulse) that is a result of a nuclear device detonation. Also Diesel motors also have a much longer service life, with fewer parts to worry about since when we are in combat things tend to need to get replaced. And Diesel is not flammable unless it is under pressure nor does Diesel explode Thats why military vehicles use it, Except for some which use the newer GM turbo diesel. It also lasts longer then regular gasoline

I don’t think anything like this is in cata tho, so meh

[SiegeLion]

I shouldn’t be driving too often anyway, and I craft a lot too.

Jamming a military flatbed truck and two APCs together, converting them to gas-electric engines and using it to drive from city to city and harvest each city for resources along the way.

I’ll drive to the centre of the city, crush anything that stands in my way, leave it there to charge while I go out looting and demolishing every building in the city, return with my gains and craft thousands of lightstrips.

It may seem stupid, but why can’t I build a goddamn steam engine, have a furnace in the back of my truck to power it and use the wood from the buildings I demolish to fuel it. Goddammit I want a city consuming behemoth, requiring many furnaces burning entire buildings worth of wood each just to fuel the engine required to move the gigantic beast.

[quote=“mwswimmer, post:8, topic:8180”]Diesel motors have no ignition system, and that helps deal with the threat of an EMP(Electro Magnetic Pulse) that is a result of a nuclear device detonation. Also Diesel motors also have a much longer service life, with fewer parts to worry about since when we are in combat things tend to need to get replaced. And Diesel is not flammable unless it is under pressure nor does Diesel explode Thats why military vehicles use it, Except for some which use the newer GM turbo diesel. It also lasts longer then regular gasoline

I don’t think anything like this is in cata tho, so meh[/quote]
I never knew that was the reason for the military using Diesel, I always thought it was because it was cheaper and diesel engines are less prone to damage in harsh conditions

[mwswimmer]

That to, Iv come to expect our vics to get me the hell out of doge when needed, You always want less moving parts because sand gets everywhere and in everything so the less stuff that moves that can get clogged the better

[TheWumpus]

Diesel motors have no ignition system, and that helps deal with the threat of an EMP(Electro Magnetic Pulse) that is a result of a nuclear device detonation. Also Diesel motors also have a much longer service life, with fewer parts to worry about since when we are in combat things tend to need to get replaced. And Diesel is not flammable unless it is under pressure nor does Diesel explode Thats why military vehicles use it, Except for some which use the newer GM turbo diesel. It also lasts longer then regular gasoline

…I feel compelled to point out some issues with your statements.

1. Lack of ignition system is not proof against emp. Lack of electronic engine controls is proof against emp. A vintage vehicle with a distributor and mechanical throttle body or carburetor might get shut down by an emp, but could start right back up again. Every diesel engine made in the last 20 years has an ECM on it, and if that goes down, the engine won’t run.

2. Diesel engines do not have less parts, diesel fuel is a natural lubricant which extends internal engine life. Diesel engines also run at much lower speeds and are generally built much stronger (to allow for the higher compression ratios needed to operate). A diesel engine is just as complicated, if not more so for modern engines with common rail injection and multiple turbo systems, than a gasoline engine.

3. Diesel is flammable. Diesel will explode. It is LESS flammable and volatile than gasoline. It’s still a petroleum fuel.

4. Diesel fuel does not “last longer” than gasoline. If anything it degrades much quicker under much milder conditions (ever try to start a car when it’s 0 degrees out? Imagine if the fuel has started to turn to gel). Diesel engines idle extremely efficiently, for a heat exchange engine, and their torque output is phenomenal in relation to fuel use/rpm. Lower rpm power band, less times each cylinder needs to fire, better efficiency. On highway vehicles are getting up to 10 mpg, which is amazing considering a class 8 vehicle weighs in at around 25,000+ pounds without anything attached to it.

-_- I’m sorry, I just work with the things for a living. The more you know…

Also as far as I’m aware diesel in game has a slightly better power to fuel consumption ratio and a slightly higher tolerance for pushing the engine past the “safe” speed. It’s also harder to find, at least until they implement a way to make your own from all those dead mycus fluid sacs.

[NOMOETOE]

Don’t forget the triffid fluid sac. MMM triffids. giving me so much stuff.

[Derpislav]

[quote=“TheWumpus, post:11, topic:8180”]3. Diesel is flammable. Diesel will explode. It is LESS flammable and volatile than gasoline. It’s still a petroleum fuel.[/quote]As far as I know, there have been cases where a pilot light located 3 rooms away still ignited the gasoline’s fumes. On the other hand, my dad always smokes while siphoning diesel. I guess he does that for the thrill. So while they are comparetively flammable and volatile, diesel doesn’t make storing it in open cans a death wish. Of course if you try, you will still blow up yourself, but it requires much more effort.

[EditorRUS]

As far as I know, there have been cases where a pilot light located 3 rooms away still ignited the gasoline's fumes. On the other hand, my dad always smokes while siphoning diesel. I guess he does that for the thrill. So while they are comparetively flammable and volatile, diesel doesn't make storing it in open cans a death wish. Of course if you try, you will still blow up yourself, but it requires much more effort.

Basically, gasoline is light alkane while diesel is more heavy (which means it should take more energy to fully decompose its molecule to CO2 and H2O). That's why gasoline evaporates so easily, while diesel not. In fact one MOLE of burned gasoline yields less energy than ONE mole of burned diesel, but the problem is density. Diesel is pretty dense and if we take equal masses of gasoline and diesel - they will yield pretty much similar amount of energy per gramm.

[Ferodaktyl]

another random fact : a friend threw a lighted cig in a bucket of gasoline to prove it doesn’t burn so easily. indeed the cig went off without igniting the gasoline. So much for movies BS

[Funk]

Petrol vapor is the flammable part, that’s why cars have carburetors and injectors to vaporize it.

[SiegeLion]

Still vehicle related so no point in making a separate thread.
Do solar panels count as a roof tile on vehicles or do I need to put a roof tile there too?
What exactly are Stow Boards? I’d assume they’re just regular boards but with storage space?

[Derpislav]

Stow boards block movement and line of sight. Solar panels don’t count as roof, but I’m unsure if you need a roof to install them…

[TheFlame52]

Stow boards block movement and line of sight. Solar panels don’t count as roof, but I’m unsure if you need a roof to install them…

They don’t need a roof. Also, stow boards are somewhat weaker than regular boards.

[SiegeLion]

Yeah no roof required for installing them, but I am being rained on while being stood under them.
It’s a little bit odd, they should really either require a roof or count as a roof.