nitromethane

I've heard a few of you people talking about nitromethane. First what is it? Second what kind of power does it ad? Third is it better and more/less expensive than N2O? Last, how readily available is it to the common person?

Thanks for your input.

Nitromethane is a fuel, like gasoline or diesel.
Nitrous oxide is an oxidizer, it helps burn fuel, but needs gasoline to work.
Nitromethane is the fuel used in some classes of drag racing "Top Fuel" dragsters etc.
It has different burning characteristics than gasoline so an engine can be built that develops more power with nitromethane than ever could be made with gasoline. (6000 hp from 500 cubic inch supercharged V8)
The fuel system is very expensive, as is the fuel. It would cost huge dollars to adapt a nitro methane fuel system for street use. These top fuel drag racing teams spend about $8000 in fuel, parts, maintenance etc. to make ONE 5 second pass down the drag strip.

Nitromethane is, well nitrometane, that is methane with a NO2 group instead of one of the hydrogren atoms in methane.

It's a liquid fuel with a stoichiometric air fuel ratio of 1.7:1 and a energy content of about 11 MJ/kg. It is in other words nothing like N2O, it's a fuel with a large oxygen content which allows a very large mass of fuel to be added to an engine, the downside is that the energy content is low which means that if you compare with gasoline you can get over twice the power from an engine but you will have to add about 9 times as much fuel to get this power.

Nitromethane is the fuel of choice for Top Fuels and other high power dragsters and engines of radio controlled racing vehicles. It's often used with methanol to reduce the flame temperature.

Nitromethane also needs lot of energy to vaporise so it increase volumetric efficiency but is also very hard to ignite and burn slow, if you take a look on a top fuel dragster it has two spark plugs per cylinder driven with very powerful magnetoes.

The fuel is also very corrosive on the engine.

The exhausts from a nitromethane burning engine is also irritating, it's not good to breathe or get it in the eyes. If you have ever watched an Top Fuel dragster up close when it is running you may have noticed this, it's also the reason that gas masks is sometimes used.

Is availible from Angus Nitrofuel, sold by for example VP Racing Fuels.

Nitromethane is a fuel, like gasoline or diesel.
Nitrous oxide is an oxidizer, it helps burn fuel, but needs gasoline to work.
Nitromethane is the fuel used in some classes of drag racing "Top Fuel" dragsters etc.
It has different burning characteristics than gasoline so an engine can be built that develops more power with nitromethane than ever could be made with gasoline. (6000 hp from 500 cubic inch supercharged V8)
The fuel system is very expensive, as is the fuel. It would cost huge dollars to adapt a nitro methane fuel system for street use. These top fuel drag racing teams spend about $8000 in fuel, parts, maintenance etc. to make ONE 5 second pass down the drag strip.

One magazine said that they could only handle full throttle for 8 seconds before shit began to fly. They also supercharge them with 50 psi so that makes a huge difference in power.