Octane rating

An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a <a href="/facts/Liquid_fuel/SBQECB5J">fuel</a>'s ability to withstand <a href="/facts/Compression_ratio/QNJXIT08">compression</a> in an <a href="/facts/Internal_combustion_engine/Ju4BXzj0">internal combustion engine</a> without causing <a href="/facts/Engine_knocking/k9rhaaYD">engine knocking</a>. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. Octane rating does not relate directly to the power output or the energy content of the fuel per unit mass or volume, but simply indicates the resistance to detonating under pressure without a spark.
Whether a higher octane fuel improves or impairs an engine's performance depends on the design of the engine. In broad terms, fuels with a higher octane rating are used in higher-compression <a href="/facts/Petrol_engine/oj3XzkQU">gasoline engines</a>, which may yield higher power for these engines. The added power in such cases comes from the way the engine is designed to compress the air/fuel mixture, and not directly from the rating of the gasoline.
In contrast, fuels with lower octane (but higher <a href="/facts/Cetane_number/jzmECJhV">cetane numbers</a>) are ideal for <a href="/facts/Diesel_engine/9B9opxvA">diesel engines</a> because diesel engines (also called compression-ignition engines) do not compress the fuel, but rather compress only air, and then inject fuel into the air that was heated by compression. Gasoline engines rely on ignition of compressed <a href="/facts/Air%25E2%2580%2593fuel_ratio/l2BGvlyw">air and fuel</a> mixture, which is ignited only near the end of the compression <a href="/facts/Stroke_(engine)/whnTkDl3">stroke</a> by electric <a href="/facts/Spark_plug/Y9lG10hg">spark plugs</a>. Therefore, being able to compress the air/fuel mixture without causing detonation is important mainly for gasoline engines. Using gasoline with lower octane than an engine is built for may cause engine knocking and/or <a href="/facts/Pre-ignition/C54lRVIl">pre-ignition</a>.
The octane rating of <a href="/facts/Aviation_gasoline/jno8BhvW">aviation gasoline</a> was extremely important in determining aero engine performance in the aircraft of <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>. The octane rating affected not only the performance of the gasoline, but also its versatility; the higher octane fuel allowed a wider range of lean to rich operating conditions.

Octane rating open-in-new

Octane rating