The SciAm blurb was just a highlight of an article from the journal Energy & Fuels -- here's the article. It's not magnets, it's applying a strong electrical field to diesel fuel to reduce the viscosity. Since diesel has higher viscosity to begin with, there's a greater benefit there than with gasoline.
The article in the December edition of Scientific American does indeed relate to tests done on a diesel engine fuel injector, but implies that the technique should be applicable across the board on any ICE. The fuel injector attachment consumed less than 0.1 watt and increased fuel economy by 18.7% (from 32 to 38 mpg), by reducing fuel viscosity and improving combustion efficiency. That same edition of SciAm also carried an ad for the Pulstar spark plug, which has appeared in several recent issues of the magazine. The ad claims an increase of 9.8% in mpg (from 44.8 to 49.2 mpg) when tested in a Toyota Prius. I tend to think that Scientific American, a magazine regarded highly for its integrity, would not carry such an ad without having some basis for its veracity. Now whether or not you believe their claim of course is entirely up to you. As Patsparks said in his post, there are many variables that affect combustion efficiency in any ICE, which have been played with ad nauseum over the past 100 years of engine development. I am inclined to think that the fuel injector device is more likely to improve the combustion process than a set of Pulstar plugs; but that's just the gut feel of a old retired aero engineer. Which is probably not much better that being the uneducated Aussie that Pat sometimes claims to be!
Great find! As I was reading the article, I was remembering some of the early reports about the benefits of electrostatic paint spraying. The like-charged droplets would split and become finer for a smoother surface. Best of all, the opposite charged surface causes the charged paint particles to move towards and adhere to the surface and improved the painting efficiency. Although not emphasized in the article, direct injection diesel would benefit more than a gas engine because the gasoline fuel-air mix has a longer and more torturous path. The diesel fuel goes directly from the injector into the compressed air charge for immediate combustion. In contrast, gasoline passes from the intake manifold through the intake valve and then the brief pause of the compression stroke. I especially enjoyed reading the diesel BAFC (brake-specific fuel consumption) for the Cornaglia Iveco engine, "220.1 g/kWh" that went to "208.7 g/kWh." I've been mucking about the Toyota 2004 SAE paper and noticed the operational line flows directly through a region of "230 g/kWh." All in all, a good read, Bob Wilson
My friend uses that brand on his ride, but it's not a Prius though so I can't really tell if it works for our Prius.
Any Prius would perform a heck of a lot better with chick-magnets. Natural or unatural enhancement would go a long way to increase our combined mileage achievement. The only plug I've used that has ever made any notable improvement when installed was a change from an old Honda OEM plug to an NGK Iridium for a 1997 1.6L with 64,000 miles on the clock. The car was getting 37-38 mpg with the old plug, increasing to a consistent 42 mpg with the new plugs. Same oil, air filter, tires/pressure, fuel, driving conditions and weather. Even the same old driver. I was surprised, for sure.
