the reason nitrous works is because the nitrogen stabilizes the pressure in the cylinder and the oxygen breaks off adding more to the mixutre. the nitrous also gets more gas into the chamber. this in turn adds oxygen and fuel to the cylinder causing the increase in hp. Cry02 does not go into the engine. it just cools the whole thing off.
yeah thats what i sed, right?
rellik - yes, there is a 1BHP gain for every 10° trop in engine temperature
el cheapo - intercoolers are a plus because the air coming in after the compressor is hotter than the engine itself. the intercooler can lower temperatures by as much as 100*. plus with all the air that is flowing thru there, it adds up more. with any forced induction (non nitrous) the air is significantly hotter than normal. the intercooler lowers it. plus, the amount of air it forces into the engine even at 10° more is about 5hp. with a forced induction setup, the equation goes to about 3BHP for every 10° dropped. the compressed air makes it hotter just being compressed along w/ all the potential energy compressed air has.
ok, ill buy that. I can see what you mean it makes sence.
your statement about O2 not being flammible is wrong. pure O2 is flammible. and you know what ignites in the combustion chamber??? the oxygen. the gasoline is a catalyst. C3H8 + 5O2 + 5*3.773 N2 --> 3 CO2 + 4 H2O + 5*3.773 N2 that is the actual chemical formula that occurs in the combustion chamber. the gasoline is a catalyst, and the O2 is used to produce CO2.
ok, i dont know what you are trying to say here. Your chemical equation is for the combustion of gasoline. . and the way i see it you have written 5*3.773 N2 as the catalyst.
a catalyst is a substance which speeds up a reaction but DOES NOT take part in the reaction.
catalyst
n 1: (chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected
(from dictionary.com

)
in your equation gasoline is effected, in fact it is combusted in the presence of oxygen to produce water and co2 which is correct and the N is a spectator, which is also correct.
but gasoline is most deffinately not a catalyst. It is a reactant.
now oxygen. . .
oxygen
n : a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless
nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 28 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
from dictionary. com
also
Note: It occurs combined in immense quantities, forming eight ninths by weight of water, and probably one half by weight of the entire solid crust of the globe, being an ingredient of silica, the silicates, sulphates, carbonates, nitrates, etc. Oxygen combines with all elements (except fluorine),
forming oxides, bases, oxyacid anhydrides, etc., the process in general being called oxidation, of which combustion is only an intense modification. At ordinary temperatures with most substances it is moderately active, but at higher temperatures it is one of the most violent and powerful chemical agents known. It is indispensable in respiration, and in general is the most universally active and efficient element.
so combustion in an engine is another form of oxidation, such as rusting is an oxidation process in the simple equation
2Fe + O2 =>2(FeO)
where oxygen is the oxidizer and iron is the reducer.
now then in your combustion example it is no diffrent only we now have carbon chains to deal with which always combust or "oxidize" into water and CO2.
So just like you said, the increase in O2 produces more hp because the reaction is able to take place more quickly.
And as i said, there is a cooling effect that takes place within the reactions as the n20 breaks down.
but oxygen is not flamable.
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