High Octane Gas?

Suggest defining how the ICE fuel/air mixture/compression/etc
works in the combustion chamber...

My first swag without having to post links... :B

The air/fuel mixture going into the combustion chamber is compressed
to increase the potential PSI after ignition...even more potential
PSI if the timing is advanced before top dead center...

For it is all about the PSI on the piston top...that is what makes
the power to drive the rear axle via the food chain from the ICE
to that axle(s)

PSI...pounds per square inch...so with the same PSI...you can
have more power with a larger dia piston...or more PSI on a smaller
piston dia...or any combo of that.

Then comes the crank offset and the lever arm on the crank...and
a bunch of mechanical stuff that goes with that...like gearing/etc

Ignition of the air/fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber is
NOT an explosion...that would break things in a hurry...it is a 'burn'

But...when the ICE is working hard and HOT...that air/fuel mixture
only needs ignition to light off (either an explosion or burn)

A controlled burn is when it is ignited when desired/designed.

Knock, pre-ignition, etc is when it goes off not according to plan/design


It is NOT a burn, but an explosion and is self ignited by whatever
conditions in the combustion chamber

Octane rating of the fuel is its resistance to pre-ignite

There is a 'knock sensor' in most all modern gassers. That sensor
is the eyes/ears for the computer(s) and the software algorithms
will then tell the computer to back off ignition timing (less
potential PSI developed...therefore less power)

With higher octane fuel...it will 'seem' to make more power, but
in reality...just allows more power it was designed to develop in
proper conditions...where as the computer(s) would have phased
back the amount of potential power...

Why using higher octane will deliver more power under those harsh
conditions...and potentially better fuel mileage...as the ICE will
be up to higher power levels