Curiosity on something

[djmoore85]

I was talking to a buddy of mine, just tossin ideas and such around on new things, and a subject came up that I feel should be investigated. Figured this would be the place to start. Basically we tossed the idea of benefits/gains/any outcome of substituting the air intake with bottled oxygen. What it would consist of is instead of taking in atmospheric air, hook a bottle of pure O2 up to the intake with pressure regulator and such so the result that you would be using cold, compressed pure O2 in place of the normal intake. Anybody tried this or heard of someone doing it, possibly theorize any outcomes/results? I figured if it may be worth investigating to try it on something small and cheap like a go-cart. Any insight or other info would be greatly appreciated.

[Hypsi87]

so you want to take something that has 1000+ EGT's and comustion tempatures exceeding that and add an oxidizer.

That is the same theroy as a cutting torch.

[drdisque]

every couple months someone comes on here and asks about the feasability of this. The problem with it is that pure oxygen likes to explode, it doesn't need to be added to fuel first, but that certainly helps things along.

[beef_bourito]

one thing about oxygen is that it burns everything, ever seen burning metal? put pure oxygen through your intake and you will.

[gmatov]

Oxygen does not explode.

Oxygen is, per se, an oxydizer, it combines with different materials in a different fashion.

You CAN inhale the outlet of your torch, oxygen only, and not blow up.

You can blow your torch into your lit barbecue, and make a forge of it, till the aluminum casting melts.

You can turn on your oxy valve, light your BIC in the path of the oxy, and, if it does not blow out, just MAYBE make a hotter flame, but there is not enough fuel there for the oxy to combine with.

Since normal air is approx 20 % O2, about 3 psi of the air coming into your engine is O2, if you want to figure it that way. And, that is the only way to, really, consider it.

Any given volume of air, whether atmospheric or under 10000 psi, will be 20 % O2.

So, to introduce a little O2 into the intake would help.

Just for curiosity, can any of yunz who push Nitrous Oxide tell me what the NO2 is?

Shit, it can't be compressed air, can it? More O2, because it is denser? And under pressure? And, flowing, when you trigger it, so as to get around the "leafblowers don't work" group

I mean, since Nitrogen is an inert gas, why use it? Like squirting halogens into the cylinders, the fire retardents.

I think many places use Nitrogen flood systems, as well as CO2 flood systems for fire control at gas pumps.

Ah, well,

Cheers,

George

Sorry, bourito,

Oxygen doesn't burn anything. It does, slowly, in most cases, combine with most things to "burn" it. Steel rusts; that is one "burn", though it takes a while. Copper and aluminum also "burn" slowly, and, worse, when an oxide film builds up, they quit "burning". You can set your torch to the highest, you will NOT burn a piece of copper. Melt, yes, burn, never.

You can turn off the combustible gas, acetylene OR propane, of your torch, jack your O2 to a 100 psi, and aim it at the pice of aluminum foil in front of the tip, and do no more than tear it from the pressure

[djmoore85]

Thanx for the info gmatov. Yea, I understand the basic concept behind oxygen, O2 itself is not flammable, it simply lowers the flash point of anything it comes into contact with. Just been kickin this idea around and looking at it different ways. I understood from the get-go that heat would be an issue, but I'm also curious as to whether you could get any benefits besides HP when you toss this particular oxidizer into the engine. Thanx again y'all for your help, I'll be doin a ton more research on it and see what I can come up with

[Zgringo]

I've seen oxygen lance's explode when just a drop of oil got in the line. Also we just had a sad think happen where I live. 2 guys were hooking up a cutting torch and were using jerry rigged hoses. The hose used on the oxygen was from a gasoline transfer tank. When they turned on the oxygen, the whole thing exploded and killed them both. Oxygen is a oxidizer and DOES NOT BURN but supports combustion. Oxygen, being in gas or liquid (LOX) is extreamly dangerious. If you don't believe me ask someone who watched one of our space shuttles explode, killing the entire crew, from a oxygen leak.
If you'd like to try this, PLEASE let me know, so I can move further south in Mexico.

[Hypsi87]

introducing pure oxygen into your engine would turn each combustion into a cutting torch. your pistons would be gone in a heartbeat.

[Zgringo]

Originally Posted by Hypsi87

introducing pure oxygen into your engine would turn each combustion into a cutting torch. your pistons would be gone in a heartbeat.

I have to agree 100%. You'd be lucky if that was all it did. I want out to the shop after my last post and fired up the cutting torch, oxygen only, poured a little gas on the floor lit it and directed the oxygen into the flames.
Holy s**t, the small orange flame exploded into a major bonfire. It was so hot I couldn't believe it.

[djmoore85]

Well, did some researching and such, then got to thinking about it. Pure O2 was a bad idea, but it gave me an idea to start from. Been doing calculations and volume-to-% O2 type figurings, and am looking into possibility of other uses for this awesome oxidizer. Anyway, I'll be crunchin numbers for the next day or two, I'll post back and let y'all know what I come up with.

[Hypsi87]

Originally Posted by Zgringo

I have to agree 100%. You'd be lucky if that was all it did. I want out to the shop after my last post and fired up the cutting torch, oxygen only, poured a little gas on the floor lit it and directed the oxygen into the flames.
Holy s**t, the small orange flame exploded into a major bonfire. It was so hot I couldn't believe it.

yup. oxygen won't burn, It just helps everything burn