Tech Chat

What is Nitrous Oxide?

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is a great way to add horsepower, but what is it and how does it work? We will discuss the history, chemical compositions, options, and how it works in this month's article.

Nitrous Oxide's chemical composition is N2O that means it has two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Some people confuse nitrous oxide's chemical designator, N2O, with NOS that is a company acronym for Nitrous Oxide Systems. N2O is a colorless, non-flammable gas with a slightly sweet taste and odor. It is non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin. N2O's nickname is "Laughing Gas" because when inhaled in small quantities can induce laughter and mild hysteria. The N2O used in racing is not the same as the "Laughing Gas" used in the dentist office. The N2O used in racing is a more pure form and when inhaled can cause asphyxiation (lack of oxygen) which can result in death.

Nitrous Oxide was discovered early in World War 2. It was used in German and British planes to help with the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere at higher altitudes. In 1950s, Smoky Yunick used N2O to help get the edge on the competition in NASCAR until discovered and outlawed by NASCAR. In the 60s and 70s, drag racers and hot rodders were using N2O to make their cars go faster. Thus, N2O was born as a way to make cheap horsepower on demand.

Nitrous Oxide breaks down to pure nitrogen and oxygen at 535 degrees F. When Nitrous Oxide is injected into the combustion chamber, it is heated up and the nitrogen and oxygen atoms are separated. Since the oxygen portion of N2O is pure oxygen, it is more dense then the oxygen in the air. We all know that the more oxygen, the better the fire. The other advantage of N2O comes from the nitrogen atoms. Nitrogen atoms reduce the combustion chamber temperature. Therefore, when N2O is injected into an engine, you get more oxygen and lower combustion temperatures, which equal more horsepower. N2O can increase the horsepower about 25-35%. When used properly N2O can be a great addition to any engine, whether it is stock or highly modified. N2O is a safe upgrade to an engine when used properly and the engine is in sound condition.

Systems can be either dry or wet systems. A dry system injects N2O into the engine by itself. A wet system injects both N2O and fuel into the engine. The advantage of the wet system is that it will inject extra fuel into your engine. N2O needs a rich mixture of fuel or a lean condition will result. Since N2O produces more oxygen, more fuel is needed. In addition, timing needs to be adjusted to help compensate for the increased fuel and power. Most systems are setup to kick on at full throttle. They can also be setup to kick on at a certain RPM. Some systems have an arming switch so you can turn it on when you want it.

Fortunately, several companies manufacture complete systems. These include everything you need to install a reliable and safe N2O system on your vehicle. Gone are the experimental days of N2O. Today's N2O systems are reliable and safe not to mention a whole lot of fun. If you are looking for cheap horsepower that it available when you want, check out Nitrous Oxide you will not be disappointed.

Until next month,
Vincent Wright
sales@kmwperformance.com
http://www.kmwperformance.com