Originally Posted by bill Shurvinton (Post 2121)

Pre-compressor injection offers a host of benefits. In a nutshell, injecting water (and ideally a few other miscible fluids of high specific heat capacity) pushes the compression from adiabatic to near isothermal. This is way more efficient (up to 30%).

Yes atomisation is critical, but the technology is there.

Originally Posted by bill Shurvinton (Post 2278)

problem 1 is that water on its own, whilst having a very high latent heat of vapourisation, doesn't have that good a saturation partial pressure. You can only put so much in before the air is at 100%RH. Above this the water will not cool the air until you compress it in the engine. However, if you add a second fluid, say methanol, Dalton proved with his law of partial pressures that the methanol doesn't know that the air is saturated with water vapour and goes on to vapourise as well. Add a 3rd, such as acetone (all available chemicals) and you get a 3rd tranch of cooling.

The net result is that you may be able to cool the air to slightly below ambient with the right mix. So your compressor becomes more efficient, you can throw away the intercooler, increasing your flow, and in some cases significantly improve the flow from turbo to inlet.

Its good, very very good.

Bill