Glow fuel facts for kids

Glow fuel is a special type of fuel used to power small engines in model airplanes, helicopters, cars, and boats. These engines are often very powerful for their size!

Sometimes, people call glow fuel "nitro" or just "model fuel." Some types of model fuel have a lot of nitro, while others have none at all. For example, "FAI fuel" has no nitro. "FAI" stands for Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, which is an organization that sets rules for model competitions. They don't allow nitro in fuel for their races.

What is Glow Fuel Made Of?

Glow fuel is mostly made from three main things: methanol, nitromethane, and oil. Each part has an important job.

Methanol: The Main Burner

Methanol is the biggest part of glow fuel. It's what makes the fuel burn and gives the engine most of its power. To get a glow engine to start, you need a glow plug. This plug gets super hot because of a special chemical reaction with the methanol.

When the engine is running really fast, the glow plug stays hot on its own. A small amount of electricity is only needed to heat the plug up when you first start the engine. Once it's running, you can disconnect the electricity.

Nitromethane: For More Power

Nitromethane is added to glow fuel to give the engine more power and make it easier to adjust. Even though nitromethane doesn't have as much energy as methanol, it needs less oxygen to burn. This means the engine can take in more nitromethane during each spin, which leads to more power!

• Most model planes, boats, and helicopters use fuel with 5% to 15% nitromethane.
• For race cars, the fuel can have much more, from 30% up to 65% nitromethane!

Why Nitromethane Can Be Tricky

In some countries, it can be hard to get nitromethane. This is because it's known to be used in explosives. So, in these places, glow fuel often doesn't have any nitromethane at all.

Oil: Keeping Things Smooth

Glow engines don't have their own oil supply like car engines. So, oil is mixed right into the fuel! This oil helps to lubricate all the moving parts inside the engine, stopping them from getting too hot or wearing out.

The oil can be castor oil or special synthetic oils. Some fuels even use a mix of both. The oil in glow fuel doesn't burn. Instead, it comes out of the exhaust pipe. Besides lubricating, this oil also helps carry away extra heat from the engine.

How to Run a Glow Engine

Glow engines work best when they run a little bit "rich." This means the mix of fuel and air going into the engine has a bit more fuel than it can burn right away. This extra, unburned fuel and oil help keep the engine cool.

After you've used your model, it will likely have a thin layer of oil on it from the exhaust. You'll need to clean it! Regular window cleaner and a paper towel work well to wipe off the oil.

Getting Your Glow Fuel

Making glow fuel yourself isn't too hard, but some of the ingredients can be dangerous in large amounts. Because of this, most people who use models buy their glow fuel already mixed and ready to go.

Some very small engines might need fuel with more oil than larger engines. You can usually find the right kind of fuel and oil at a hobby shop. Companies that make glow fuel use computers to mix their fuels very carefully. This helps make sure every batch of fuel is of the best quality.