Rather than trying to study the properties of every possible compound, the evolutionary method naturally selects the best-performing additives. The system can then predict how well the molecules will work by evaluating their structures. Only the best candidates are kept, and they continue to breed. Fuel additives are needed to reduce deposits, left over from the combustion of gasoline, that build up on engine valves. The deposits eventually affect the performance of the valves, hindering engine efficiency.
Additives latch onto waste material, preventing it from settling on the surfaces of valves.
Colo. The paper was written by Venkatasubramanian, graduate students Anantha Sundaram and Prasenjeet Ghosh, chemical engineering Professor James M. Caruthers, all from Purdue, and chemist Daniel T. Daly from Lubrizol Corp. in Wickliffe, Ohio, which funded the research. Genetic algorithms are not limited to the design of gasoline additives. They have been used in other applications and might become a major force in the design of future drugs, plastics and other products, Venkatasubramanian says.