Ikwueto Oliver

APPLICATION OF NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) IN AUTOMOBILE ENGINES

Ikwueto Oliver
"Faculty of Natural Science, Department of Industrial Physics, Anambra State University,
P.M.B 02, Uli, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria"

+234 (0) 803 265 5720 engine4eva'yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Nitrous oxide injection technology in automobile is a difficult technology to understand, though

it is the easiest and most cost effective performance modification. All modern applications inject

liquid nitrous oxide into the intake manifold, while the latent heat of vaporization of the nitrous

oxide significantly cools the intake air. This research paper focused on the importance nitrous

oxide in automobile engines and how it enhances the performance of automobile engine. Though

there are still misconceptions that this technology causes expensive damages of engines, but this

paper also explains the perfect engineering method of nitrous oxides installation in order to

increase the efficiency of automobile engines. In this research work, a mathematical model of

nitrous oxide formation was used. The description of this model, its scope and uses were

presented in reference (1), and are briefly summarized in the section of this paper. Nitrous oxide

is colourless, non-flammable gas (at room temperature) which is used in automotive racing to

dramatically increase horsepower. It does not increase horsepower by burning; it is an oxidizer

which allows engines to burn more fuel by significantly increasing the oxygen content of the

mixture.

Keywords: Intake manifold, Oxidizer, Nitrous injection performance and Combustion.
INTRODUCTION
Through years of involvement with all
forms of high performance automotive
racing, Nitrous Oxide System (NOS) has
evolved into the world's largest
manufacturer of performance Nitrous
Systems. NOS designs and engineers nitrous
oxide system for virtually anything with an
internal combustion engine from stock to
highly modified cars, motorcycles,
watercraft, aircraft and eve snowmobiles.
Nitrous oxygen system (NOS) has become
synonymous with quality high performance
automobile products. Researchers and
Development (R&D) engineering and
technical support assures a perfect
performance of Nitrous oxide in
automobiles.
An engine makes power based on the
amount of fuel it burns. More fuel can be
pumped into the engine, but what limits the
amount of fuel an engine can burn is the
amount of oxygen requires to burn it.
Therefore, what actually limits an engine's
ability to make power is the amount of air
(oxygen) it can breathe. So racers do all
sorts of things to let an engine breathe more
air, bigger displacement, freer flowing parts
superchargers etc. Nitrous oxide which
attacks this problem from a different angle,
and does not change the amount of air the
engine can breathe, but the amount of
oxygen it can breathe. Air contains only
about 20% Oxygen, where nitrous oxide
contains about 36% Oxygen. If nitrous
oxide is added, it will increase the total
mixtures of Oxygen level significantly over
20%.
Ikwueto Oliver
Since Nitrous oxide is much more powerful
oxidizer the air, the net effect of nitrous
injection is a highly effective power booster,
whether or not it is done with maximum
efficiency. A modest amount of nitrous
oxide can go a long way as a power-adder.
Given the restively compact volume of
concentrated liquid nitrous oxide and
supplemental liquid fuel compared to the
breathing capability of an engine, it is rather
easy to build nitrous system plumbing that
will add as much power as needed by
dumping into the intake system whatever
quantity of liquid horsepower is necessary
even if air is degraded. For practical
purposes, the physical delivery of nitrous
oxide (N2O) and supplemental fuel is not a
constraint on power because nitrous oxide
injection is capable of making more power
than almost any engine or chassis can
tolerate.
Dyno testing reveals that nitrous injection
can actually make even more power than
expected based purely on the theoretical
advantage of Oxygen enrichment. In fact,
when injecting nitrous oxide at a ratio of
10%, the mass flow of air induction, a
nitrous system (done right) is capable of
making 20% more power. Why? Several
factors combine to increase power beyond
what's available from Oxygen enrichment;
Refrigerant effects on the volumetric
efficiency of air induction (producing an air
supercharging effect), energy liberated by
the exothermic breakdown of nitrous oxide
into Oxygen and Nitrogen at 565 Degree F
and improved engine thermal efficiency
from the higher flame speed and combustion
temperatures of the more radical fire
 Ikwueto Oliver

chemistry of enhanced-Oxygen fuel The chemical equation is;

combustion.
2N2O(g) ----------- 2N(g) + Oi(g)^.(1)

- 11
*
I n r4 M p If
1
INi K 0 rr \
Mt 1

i
1 r
y
_
/
f
M L / *

l
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m ------- -------- -
r i

---- - -

H
r
2 ---
i

L /

/
m / 1
/ 1
/

r\ / i ---
m
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m 11 ____
1
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ft--
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j
1

-1 it* m m m m t
Lane Venter's hut rod 208 proved upafcle ul 573 horses at the wheels uli the meter urd/
Fulbwmg nitrous tyriwii purge, the Corvette delvtred 863 tmssowtr. bealty, nfircus action s
borsepewer graph would macfy parallel the all-motor power toe at a higher level But it can be
very diffcult to present some surging due 1o refriserabon efletis teaming and nitrous denaty
uharij-s, and CtangM n the n-tuel rabu d unity tcusl as fcuilro liquid nitrous in the lank (men
temperature arri pressure and soroebmes arret o uo with the mass rate ot nitifte e>i<isw
from the tank A verv laroe tank Mitialb M. piwk*k the lot wessure droo Evon bettor is nVbole
tanks
 Hcrseptm's with and without ntraus and thf interesting riled c' ntrcus qedian on torque production
Ithe hghest Irnqut is al the Irrwesl adrralian rpml In the third graph, nitrous qedicm aused
temporary to wallop-up engne torque on a turto trgine bekw tr* boost tliieshokl. The lower Ines
in the third graph show boost pressure, Willi and without ntruus mjeden with Ihe highest ine
rcveaing the e.'lerti>e boosl pressure prtdxed wih nitidis mjedion |lhe boost that woJd be requred
lo delwer the hqher torque line without ntruub fliedimi

WORKING PRINCIPLES OF NITROUS

OXIDE
The most essential part of a nitrous oxide (boils). This boiling affect reduces the
injection system (NOS) is the supply cylinder temperature of the nitrous to a minus -127
containing pressurised liquid nitrous oxide. Degree F. this "cooling effect" in
This cylinder is connected by means of a turnsignificantly reduces intake charge
delivery hose to a normally closed electric temperature by approximately 60-75 Degree
solenoid valve. The control solenoid valve F. the also helps create additional power. The
(which is usually mount in a cool area under general rules of thumb: for every 10 Degree
the bonnet) is opened and closed by means of F. reduction intake change temperature, a 1%
a sequence of two switches a cool area under increase in power will be realized.
the bonnet) is opened and closed by means of
THE AFFECT OF ADDING NITROUS
a sequence of two switches , one activated by
OXIDE TO AUTOMOBILE ENGINE
the throttle and the other a manually activated
arming switch. A fuel solenoid (controlled by A. COMBUSTION
the same switches as the nitrous solenoid),
Activating a Nitrous oxide system (NOS)
takes a feed from a 'T' piece, which is tapped
adds nitrous oxide and fuel to the original
into the fuel delivery line. The nitrous oxide
inlet charge and although the nitrous oxide
and fuel that is to be delivered to the engine is
itself does not burn, it is an oxidizer which
supplied via two delivery line. The nitrous
provides more oxygen to allow the additional
oxide and fuel that is to be delivered to the
fuel to be burn, and therefore produces more
engine is supplied via two delivery pipes, to
power. At 565Degree F. (less than the
one or more injectors mounted in the inlet
temperature of normal combustion) the
manifold. Nitrous oxide is comprised of two
molecules of nitrous oxide break down,
parts; nitrogen and oxygen (36% oxygen by
releasing the oxygen atom from the Nitrogen
weight). When the nitrous oxide is heated to
atoms. Once free from the nitrogen, the
appropriately 572 Degree F (on
oxygen supports the combustion of the
comprehension stroke), it breaks down and
additional fuel, while the released nitrogen
releases extra oxygen as shown in equation
suppresses detonation. The increased amount
(1). However, it is not this oxygen alone
of oxygen and fuel in the combustion
which creates additional power, but the ability
chamber results in the assorted molecules
of this oxygen to burn more fuel. By burning
being more tightly packed than normal, which
more fuel, higher cylinder pressure is created
leads to a quicker burn rate, that requires less
and this is where most of the additional power
timing advance for optimum results. Without
is realized. Furthermore, as pressurized
retarding the timing appropriate, the quicker
nitrous oxide is injected into the intake
burn rate would lead to detonation and engine
manifold, it changes from liquid to gas
damage.
B. DETONATION
Up to a point, adding nitrous oxide to an engine
will reduce the risk of detonation (especially on
forced induction engines) but after that point
when large power increases are required it will
increase the risk. One of the reasons for this is the
extra heat generated and the easiest way to
overcome this being a problem, is to add excess
fuel which act as a coolant. Nitrous oxide system
are supplied with rich jetting to give a safe
starting point, which means the issue is already
dealt with to someextent and as long as an engine
is not needed to control detonation. Whilst
running richer than optimum will reduce the
power output slightly, the advantage of With all
the above I mind, it is obviously essential to
supply the engine with precise amount of
additional fuel to match the amount of nitrous
oxide being added (to ensure the engine doesn't
run lean) and to retard the thinking to an
optimum setting, due to detonation.
is so because major pieces of information are still
lacking on the detailed chemistry of N 2O
formation in combustion reactions (particularly
under the fuel rich condition) and the fluid
dynamic and heat transport behaviour of flames
and raising the detonation limit will allow more
nitrous to be used to get more power more safely.
to achieve successful and reliable results. When
all three (fuel, nitrous and timing) are controlled
accurately, your engine can safely and reliably
generate exceptional power increase without
causing damage
performance and avoiding in such a way to
achieve this, as well as remaining 100%
reliability.

A well designed, Nitrous oxide system (NOS),

which delivers an accurate amount of both
Nitrous and fuel and remains consistent in doing
so, is vital for good
FIRST-GENERATION MATHEMATICAL
MODEL OF N2O FORMATIN IN
COMBUSTION PROCESS
The objective of this model is to simulate the
directional effects of known combustion
modification techniques on N2O emissions, and
to provide guidance for the development of other
potential combustion modification technique.
Further modelling work would be required to
allow the use of the model as a quantitative tool
for guiding the design of improved combustion
equipment. The use of this mathematical model
capable of the quantitative description of
chemical kinetics, transport effect, and
combustion operating and design parameters is
too complex to be used directly at present. This
combustion gases. Based on the above
consideration, in the phase 1 stationary N 2O
study, this model was used based on premixed,
gaseous hydrocarbon fuel/air combustion.
Methane was used to simulate natural gas
combustion. The principal features of this model
were the following:
a. One-dimensional, homogeneous gas
phase reaction system. Plug flow
equation consisting of series of stirred
reactors
b. Specified flow velocity, pressure and
flow area profiles
c. Specified heat transfer options
Heat transfer rate profiles
Heat transfer coefficients and wall
temperature profiles
Gas temperature profiles
Quenching rate profiles
d. Heat generation described by two- step
overall kinetics of hydrocarbon oxidation
to CO, combustion to CO2.
 e. Simplified, uncoupled Zeldovich
chain kinetics used to calculate N 2O
concentrations under fuel lean
conditions; 0-atoms assumed to be in
equilibrium with molecular O2.
f. Multiple point injection of fuel, air
or flue gases, allowing the
simulation of two stage combustion
and flue gas recirculation.
The mass and energy conservation equations
were solved by an implicit integration
scheme using Newton-Raphson iteration
technique. Compared with explicit
integration scheme, the implicit scheme
offered the advantages of not being subject
to the 'ignition problem', since the resulting
equations were equivalent to those for stirred
reactor, and of being much more stable than
explicit integration scheme which may "fall
apart", if the integration step is too large.
The first-generation model was used to
predict the rate of N2O formation in large gas
fired boilers, as a function of excess air,
preheat temperature, quenching of the
combustion gases. Because of its premixed
mixture, the model predicted peak N 2O
emission at about five percept excess air,
instead of a monotonic decrease of N2O with
decreasing excess air as experienced in
O + M2 Ki \ O + 2M.....................(2)
------
K2
O +N2 K ^ NO + N....................(3)
K4
N2 + OH _______K5 ^ N2O + H.................(4)
^-----------
The steady-state treatment of the above scheme yields the net rate of N 2O formation:
= 2 K(O)__________________ K2K5 (N2)(O)
d(N2O)
actual practise with diffusion flames. Below
stoichiometric air supp'
conditions, the model could not be used ________
predict N2O concentrations, as discussed dt
above. However, in spite of its "idealized"
nature, the model's predictions of N 2O
emissions from large gas fired boiler were of
the right order of magnitude under excess air
combustion conditions. Also, the directional
effects of flue gas recirculation and two-
stage combustion (operating the first-stage
with stoichiometry air supply) were correctly
simulated for NO emission reduction. Air
preheat temperature was shown to be
important; resulting in sharply increasing
N2O concentrations with increasing air
preheat temperatures. N2O formation rates
were predicted to decrease with increasing
quenching rates, because of the shorter
effective residence time at high
0
temperatures. Below 2300 F, the N2O formed
in the post-flame gases became frozen in all
of our computer simulation cases.
ADDITIONAL KINETICS
In this model, the net generation of N 2O is
described by a homogeneous gas reaction
system (2). The thermal chain reaction
scheme used for this model, not coupled with
combustion kinetics, consists of the
following elementary steps:
 K 5 (O)
+ K KK3 X7 (N2XOH)eg - K4K6(N2O)2

(N2O)2(H)e
(5)
X4X8

Ko(O2)
Where X0 = X1/X2 = (O) 2/(O2), and hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals arepresent in the
equilibrium with other combustion species. Neglecting the contribution of reactions (4), which
have been shown to be significant only under fuel-rich conditions (3) equation (5) reduces to the
steady state expression for the chain mechanism of atomic reactions.
The following values of the rate coefficients were used for model calculations:
, , ln14 -75400/RT , -1 -1
k- = 1.36 x 10 e cc. mole sec
1 -1 -1
cc. mole sec

t ,A -6250/RT . -1 -1
6.43 x 10 Te cc, mols sec

1 ln9T -38640/RT -1 -1
. -1 -1

cc. mole sec

1.55 x 10 Te cc. mole sec

, , in13 -800/RT 4 . 1 x 1 0 e right order of magnitude, although they tend to

be high. This is likely to be due to the idealized
, . 13
13 -334/RT -48,600/RT nature of the model, to the uncertainties in the
= 3.1 x 10
, -1 -1 values of the kinetic rate coefficients, and to the
16.4 x 10 e cc. mole sec particular quenching rate assigned to these
predictions
Where the values of k3,k4, k5 and k6 were taken
from the leeds evaluation (3), while k7 and k 8
are based on the date of c;
and thrush (4). For comparison pui ________
lower values of k3 and k4 were alst based on the
evaluation of Bortner:

Throughout the calculations, oxygen were

assumed to be in equilibriun molecular O2.
according to reaction (:
CONCLUSION

In agreement with the trend observed in actual

boiler emissions, N2O concentration levels
increase with increasing air supply over a range
of 95% to 105% stoichiometric air. As noted
earlier, because of the premixed nature of the
model, it predicts peak N2O concentrations at
about five percent excess air, in contrast with the
behaviour of diffusion flames which exhibit peak
N2O concentrations at much higher levels of
excess air. the actual levels of "frozen" N 2O
concentrations predicted by this model are on the
EFFECT OF MIXTURE RATIO ON

95'/.
Stoichiome
tric Air
Methane/Air Combustion.
Nomral 500 \LV Boiler
Preheat Terrrse^ture =
500F,
Quench Rale I 20
distance from inlet, ft. S
REFERENCES

1. Bartok, W.,A.R Crawford, A.R. Cunningham, H.J. Hall, E.H. Manny and A Skopp,
"Systems Study of Nitrogen Oxide Control methods for Stationary Sources", Esso
Research and Engineering Company, Final Report GR-2-NOS-69, Contract No. PH 22-
682. Hartman, Jeff, 1952, Nitrous Oxide Performance Handbook p.cm ISBN 978-07603-
2624-4 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1 Nitrous oxide injection systems (fuel systems) 2,
Automobile..motors..Fuel injection Systems,3. Motor Fuels..Additives1.Title
TL.214.F78H373 2009 629. 25'3 629..dc22