An Idaho inventor/entrepeneur has come up with an engine that runs on aquanol… a mix of 65% ethanol and 35% water. In addition, a diesel engine modified by Mark Cherry, with Automotive Resources, Inc. of Sandpoint, Idaho can run on a 50-50 mix of diesel and water.

Cherry says it is a precision-timed catalytic glow plug, which he calls a “Smart Plug,” with several international patents pending that makes the unusual mix of fuel and water possible. In fact, he says the engines have more torque and horsepower, they run cooler, have lower emissions, and of course, ethanol and biodiesel are easier to produce and easier on the environment.

Cherry says the vehicles do require a bigger tank to carry the water. “But the lower cost of the fuel per gallon and the better efficiency makes up for the larger tank.”

Cherry recently hit the road with his water and ethanol and diesel powered vehicles and stopped in South Dakota to show off his new technology. He says most people were excited about his invention. “Comments like ‘Wow!’ or ‘This does better than my truck!’ ” Cherry says people were also impressed with the acceleration and the actually pleasant aroma from the exhaust. And he adds, despite some bitterly cold temperatures when he was in South Dakota, there was no danger of the water-ethanol mixture freezing since it has a slush point of 100 degrees below zero.

Cherry says retrofitting current vehicles right now would cost between $2000 and $3000… but he says those costs would go down. “In large volume, that could be cut in half.”

He says all he needs now are some industrial partners to help make it more feasible for the masses.

You can check out the whole interview here: Interview with
Mark Cherry. (10 min MP3)