Nitromethane from RC Car Fuel?

[Richard L]

Originally Posted by hotrod

Richard :

Not at the moment, the simple solution would likely be to drop the water content slightly. Just out of curiosity have you double checked to be sure the bolus that is settling out is the nitro rather than the water ?? As I recall nitro is supposed to be infinitely soluable with methanol just as methanol is infinitely soluble with water. Seems at least possible that some water is coming out of solution rather than the nitro.

A long eye dropper to suck it up and test it for flamability comes to mind.

The other option would be to make a more complex system (not my prefered choice), one injection jet supplied with methanol/nitro and another with water methanol. If you controlled both with independent HSV's it would make some interesting combinations possible, but I'm not a fan of doing things the hard way unless absolutely necessary. You would also need a more advanced / flexible controller than I think most folks can afford.

Larry

I have to assume that it was nitro because it was heavier than water, I could be wrong. I first mixed the nitro with methanol, M60/N40 - perfect mix. I then add water the same amount of water to the mix.

As more water was poured in, little droplet of oily residue began to appear and eventually it settled at the bottom (as seen). I will pipette it out and test it for flammability or check its density - I have no other means of confirmation.

Here is some more pictures M50N50 and followed by W50/M25/N25 (see the smal residue on the bottom)

[Richard L]

hotrod,

I wonder if you can calculate at what M/N so that the mixture is 100% self-supporting for complete combustion? My chemistry is worse than my spelling.

I am trying to put a M/N mix (complete combustion) ans see how many % of water I can add to the mixture before separation.

[hotrod]

I wonder if you can calculate at what M/N so that the mixture is 100% self-supporting for complete combustion?

I don't think you can do that.

There will always be a need for addtional oxygen to burn both Nitromethane and methanol. They just need much less oxygen than gasoline for complete combustion.

Net result is you can burn much more fuel for a given amount of combustion air.

Nitromethane Gram molar weight = 61.0406

Oxygen content by mass = 52.4221584%

Assuming the following reaction is correct;

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

Then you need 2x 31.9988 grams oxygen = about 63.9976 grams oxygen to burn every 61.0406 grams on nitro methane, instead of the approx 3.381 grams of oxygen needed to completely burn 1 gram of gasoline.

The stoich mixture for Nitro then is about 1.04844 :1 oxygen to nitro.
Since Air is 23.16% oxygen by weight, then the fuel air ratio for complete combustion of Nitro would be about 4.52696:1. This means Nitro only needs .3079 x the oxygen as gasoline to burn completely.

Larry



In rough terms for each gram of gasoline fuel you replace with Nitro, you free up about 2.3 grams of oxygen that is still available to burn something else.

[Richard L]

larry,

Thanks for your help.

I was trying to work out how muuh % of methanol by weight should be added to nitromethane for a self-contained package to be inejcted into the engine without causing leanness.

If the stoich mixture of Nitro is 1.04844:1, injection 100% nitro into the air stream will not cause any leaning to the a/f ratio of main mixture inside the engine?

Neat Nitro injection is the way to go?

[cuprabaz]

Sorry guys i'm being lazy here! but what was the outcome regarding the mixture of the nitromethane, methanol etc etc?

[cuprabaz]

Anyone?

[Richard L]

I don't think any one has tried to yet.

I will soon.

[megafreakindeth]

u can buy nitromethane from snow performance(www.snowperformance.net) they recocomend a specific mixture or else you'll lean out. im going to run a straight water then rpm switch over to another container of whatever the ideal mixture is of the nitro for when my cam gets into powerband. probably better on the tires that way.

methanol can be found on e-bay at a slow trickle 28 dolalrs for a gallon plus 16 for shipping an explosive substance. im not sure if tis technically allowed to be sold on ebay but ive bought worse.

[Richard L]

Originally Posted by megafreakindeth

u can buy nitromethane from snow performance(www.snowperformance.net) they recocomend a specific mixture or else you'll lean out.

We have been through the discussion of mixture strength by introducing nitromethane into an engine earlier on this thread.

You can run nitromethans on its own without any leaning up.
stoichometric ratio of neat nitro is 1.04844:1, so it is near enough 1:1. Unlike air and fuel, the mixture will maintain excellent homologous after dissociation.

If you are concern about leaness, mix 20% methanol and it will guarantee the mixture is on the "rich" side.

You can purchase nitromethane from any race fuel supplier at $30 per gallon


http://www.pricechemical.com/nitromethane.htm
http://www.worldwideracingfuels.com/...ml?catId=30758

[cuprabaz]

So would i be right in saying that i'd fill my bottle with 1ltr nitro and 1ltr water? or is there anything else needing to be added?