CO is combustible in air, but has a pretty high auto igntion
temperature. Typical exhaust CO level from a gasoline engine is that
is operating at a stoichometric air fuel ratio is around 0.5 to 1%.
Stoic. on a gasoline engine is about 14.7:1 air to fuel ratio on a mass
basis. CO goes concentration goes up very quickly if the engine is
running rich of stoic. or has poor cylinder to cylinder fuel
distribution, or a missfire. An engine will run quite nicely at 5% CO.
Unfortunatly, if the engine fuel distribution is bad or the engine is
missfiring, the O2 concentration in the exhaust will also go up. If a
gasoline engine is running at stoic, and has good fuel distribution,
the exhaust could be fairly "inert", but this cannot be counted on
unless it is being monitored with a gas analyzer. With after
treatment, ie. a functioning catalyst and running at stoic., CO and HC
exhaust concentrations can be in the PPM range.
William Wixon wrote:
"Roy" wrote in message
...
There seems to be differences of opinions on the properties of carbon
monoxide gas. One source says its heavier than air another says its
lighter, so.......is it heavier or lighter than air?

To be honest I rather trust the info from this forum than various
websites and media types.




this is something i don't understand and have been wanting to ask here.
there have been posts about filling vessels with internal combustion engine
exhaust fumes as a in-a-pinch back purge. thing i was wondering was, isn't
carbon monoxide (as a component of exhaust gases) flammable/explosive?
isn't carbon monoxide what is produced as "fuel" in a wood gassification
generator?


b.w.