View Single Post
  #44  
Old 05-02-2005, 03:40 PM
Richard L Richard L is offline
Manufacturer sponsor
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: England
Posts: 4,936
Default Re: nitro mix

Quote:
Originally Posted by hotrod
Quote:
An older book said Nitro should not be mixed with water and suggested
Campfer (spelling?) be used to stretch it if detonation was feared from
pure Nitro. Also suggested other nasty non burning liquid to mix it with.
If you burn Nitromethane will that make water like gasoline does?
They may have been refering to camphor ( a ketone C10 H16 O ) It is uses as a flavoring agent, in some medical preparations, and as a plasticizer in some explosives. A liquid form is also available -- called camphor oil

The products of combustion would include water, and nitrogen compounds.
Nitromethanes chemical formula is CH3 NO2, and I believe it burns to give carbon dioxide, water and nitric acid (or other nitrogen oxides) as its combustion products. The nitric acid giving it the extremely pungent odor characteristic of a nitro burning car.

My guess is the reaction would be:

1 ( CH3-NO2 ) + 2(O2) = HNO3 + CO2 + H2O

Larry
Isn't the nitromethane just a mixture of fuel and oxygen and burning is self supporting? Topfuel Drag car used neat nitromethane and it dumps about six times the amount than ordinary fuel - At this rate, there are little or no room in the combustion chamber to hold enough air (20% oxygen) to support the burn.

I have also spoken someone darg racing expert at the show, I think he said NM97%M3 with makethe engine run lean and NM93%M7 is what they use to fuel those 8000BHP engines.

I think for our little experiment here, mixing 20% neat nitromethane and 20% methanol 20/20/60 of NM/M/W should show some good power gains without causing too much drama.
__________________
Richard L
aquamist technical support
Reply With Quote