compressed air for big twins or single?

[RustyJC]

Well the first thing that comes to mind is the astronauts of Apollo 1 who died from an electrical short which ignited a oxygen- rich environment that then fed on other combustible materials in the spacecraft.



Oxygen related fires can feed on just about anything so things you think wouldn’t normally burn do with pure oxygen. Its why safety standards say not to smoke around the stuff. A known danger is opening the cylinder valve too fast which can cause temperatures to rise high enough that the heat alone will become the ignition source. I would think a fast release of pure oxygen onto the turbo impeller could provide the same result and once the fire starts there is no shutting it down as it burns its way back to the source – a 2200 psi tank.

1. Apollo 1 was basically a pure oxygen environment. Once the oxygen leaves the nozzles at the compressor housing, it's diluted with air, so we're only talking about increasing the oxygen content of the air by percentage points - as I said, maybe from 23% to 30%, and the percentage increase will drop as turbo airflow increases.



2. As we drop the pressure of a gas, its temperature drops. To prove this to yourself, go out to your truck and depress the Schrader valve on one of the tires that's at ambient temperature. Does the escaping air feel cooler than ambient temperature?



Our company builds industrial compressors that handle oxygen, hydrogen, hydrocarbon gases, etc. , so I'm familiar with (and cited) the warnings about maintaining the oxygen system up to the nozzles as a pure oxygen system in an earlier post.



Again, oxygen isn't a fuel, it's an oxidizer, so oxygen can't "explode" in the absence of a material that it can rapidly oxidize - there has to be a fuel source present, although that can be the oil off your hands, iron or steel shavings, etc.



Rusty

 

[Matt400]

Once the oxygen leaves the nozzles at the compressor housing, it's diluted with air, so we're only talking about increasing the oxygen content of the air by percentage points - as I said, maybe from 23% to 30%

Hard to understand the increase would be so small unless it just drizzles out, I would think percentages would be much higher with a shot strong enough to drive the turbo.

2. As we drop the pressure of a gas, its temperature drops. To prove this to yourself, go out to your truck and depress the Schrader valve on one of the tires that's at ambient temperature. Does the escaping air feel cooler than ambient temperature?

True but thats releasing it to atmosphere, I would think this sudden release of pure oxygen in an enclosed environment would make for a rapid compression of the area making for heat.

Again, oxygen isn't a fuel, it's an oxidizer, so oxygen can't "explode" in the absence of a material that it can rapidly oxidize - there has to be a fuel source present, although that can be the oil off your hands, iron or steel shavings, etc.

I understand that, but there is such a thing as oxygen fires, the oxygen causes things to burn that normally wouldn't with just flame and air.

 

[CATCRACKER]

i know what nitro does... . but simply filling a compressor tank with air is a lot easier and cheaper dont ya think... . that is why i was suggesting using compressed air.



how about a dual attack one port blowing in the intake horn at low boost and another hitting the copmressor wheel?



to refill simply plug in your little portable cigarette lighter powered compressor and refill. no $ and you can refill anywhere. at the most it would cost $. 50 at a gas station.



even at full boost a little extra air shot in the horn would lower ambient temps never a bad thing to add few ponies.



the question has it been done right and would it be worth it?



i know a blast out of my compressor at full charge with blow your hat off 15 feet away

 

[swankmetal]

check these out. they are using a 3/4" air line.



here



and



here