Re: nitrous power
In vehicle
racing, nitrous oxide (often referred to as just "
nitrous" in this context to differ from the acronym NOS which is the brand Nitrous Oxide Systems) is sometimes injected into the intake manifold (or prior to the intake manifold; some systems directly inject right before the cylinder) to increase power. The gas itself is not flammable, but it delivers more
oxygen than atmospheric air by breaking down at elevated temperatures, allowing the engine to burn more fuel and air, resulting in more powerful combustion. Nitrous oxide is stored as a compressed liquid, the
evaporation and expansion of liquid nitrous oxide in the
intake manifold causes a large drop in intake charge temperature, resulting in a denser charge, further allowing more air/fuel mixture to enter the cylinder. The lower temperature can also reduce
detonation.
The same technique was used during
World War II by
Luftwaffe aircraft with the
GM 1 system to boost the power output of
aircraft engines. Originally meant to provide the Luftwaffe standard aircraft with superior high-altitude performance, technological considerations limited its use to extremely high altitudes. Accordingly, it was only used by specialized planes like high-altitude
reconnaissance aircraft,
high-speed bombers and high-altitude
interceptors.
One of the major problems of using nitrous oxide in a reciprocating engine is that it can produce enough power to damage or destroy the engine. Power increases of 25–300% are possible, and if the mechanical structure of the engine is not properly reinforced, the engine may be severely damaged or destroyed during this kind of operation.
It is very important with nitrous oxide augmentation of
internal combustion engines to maintain proper operating temperatures and fuel levels to prevent
preignition, or
detonation (sometimes referred to as
knocking or
pinging).
