eli5 How do Water-in diesel fuel nanoemulsions work? How can water be used with a fuel without causing drop in net energy output?
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Had to do some quick reading for this.
To start with, combustion engines kind of suck. They are very inefficient, even the good ones. If you can create a fuel that is more efficient, even if it contains less energy, you might still get more energy out at the end of the process because of the gains in efficiency.
Water has been put into engines for a very long time as a performance-enhancer. The water boils and expands much more than air when heated, allowing it to simultaneously improve the power output *and* cool the process. Diesels tend to get extremely hot, part of how they work but also how they squeeze as much efficiency as possible out of the engine. Adding a bit of water helps cool things down during combustion and keep the reaction running efficiently *as well as* adding that expansion.
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