Devilsown Methanol Alcohol Water Injection - View Single Post

duskylim · 03-10-2008

Hi Guys!

I'm Dusky Lim from the Philippines. DevilDoc has been writing on the forums there and piqued my interest. I'm new to the forum and just wanted to greet everybody hello!

I've been reading the posts of several members and a few things struck me.

1) the question of where to install the injector nozzle, before or after the turbo's compressor.

From the point of view of maximum boost, the best place would be BEFORE the compressor as the cooled air and water/alcohol vapor would cause the compressor to follow a more constant-temperature curve (isothermal) which would result in more air being compressed and less work done by the turbo, or both.

The problem with this location is possible damage or erosion to the compressor wheel and blades, the damage will be proportional to the relative speed between the blades and the water droplets and the size of the droplets themselves.

Note - the same thing happens in steam turbines if the steam is wet, here the supersonic speeds involved rapidly erode the turbine blades and the resultant mess is called "blade salad".

Ideally, the water nozzles in such an installation would produce such a fine droplet mist that they would be carried along by the air stream without eroding the turbo's compressor.

Short of that ideal, to be on the safe side, stick with a post-turbo installation.

2) Ambient air does contain water vapor (as humidity) even at temperatures well below the boiling point. If you don't believe me, tell me where the moisture that forms on a cold glass of beer comes from!

When the quantity of water vapor in the air is at the maximum the air is said to be "saturated" or at 100% relative humidity.

The study of the properties of mixtures of air and water vapor is called psychometry. Psychometric charts and steam and air tables would help you guys a lot in estimating the cooling effects of water injection.

3) Methanol (CH3OH) is the simplest and lightest alcohol, but also has the lowest heating value (calorific value) of all the alcohols. Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a slightly better fuel.

Propanol, butanol and all the other higher alcohols all have higher heating values when burned. By the way, aside from ethyl alcohol, all the other alcohols are toxic, when inhaled, ingested or handled and the recommended antidote is to drink lots of ethanol as the body favors it and expels the rest!

Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

03-10-2008	#1 (permalink)
duskylim Water Injection Newb Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4	Greetings! Hi Guys! I'm Dusky Lim from the Philippines. DevilDoc has been writing on the forums there and piqued my interest. I'm new to the forum and just wanted to greet everybody hello! I've been reading the posts of several members and a few things struck me. 1) the question of where to install the injector nozzle, before or after the turbo's compressor. From the point of view of maximum boost, the best place would be BEFORE the compressor as the cooled air and water/alcohol vapor would cause the compressor to follow a more constant-temperature curve (isothermal) which would result in more air being compressed and less work done by the turbo, or both. The problem with this location is possible damage or erosion to the compressor wheel and blades, the damage will be proportional to the relative speed between the blades and the water droplets and the size of the droplets themselves. Note - the same thing happens in steam turbines if the steam is wet, here the supersonic speeds involved rapidly erode the turbine blades and the resultant mess is called "blade salad". Ideally, the water nozzles in such an installation would produce such a fine droplet mist that they would be carried along by the air stream without eroding the turbo's compressor. Short of that ideal, to be on the safe side, stick with a post-turbo installation. 2) Ambient air does contain water vapor (as humidity) even at temperatures well below the boiling point. If you don't believe me, tell me where the moisture that forms on a cold glass of beer comes from! When the quantity of water vapor in the air is at the maximum the air is said to be "saturated" or at 100% relative humidity. The study of the properties of mixtures of air and water vapor is called psychometry. Psychometric charts and steam and air tables would help you guys a lot in estimating the cooling effects of water injection. 3) Methanol (CH3OH) is the simplest and lightest alcohol, but also has the lowest heating value (calorific value) of all the alcohols. Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a slightly better fuel. Propanol, butanol and all the other higher alcohols all have higher heating values when burned. By the way, aside from ethyl alcohol, all the other alcohols are toxic, when inhaled, ingested or handled and the recommended antidote is to drink lots of ethanol as the body favors it and expels the rest! Best Regards, Dusky Lim