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Fuel atomisation

To: The Weldons <2weldons@earthlink.net>, land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: Fuel atomisation
From: Chris R Harris <yesford@clear.net.nz>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 17:24:58 +1200
List,
If my memory serves, one of the most successful Top Fuel dragracing teams of
the 60's was the 'Surfers' Jobe, Skinner and Sorokin.
Their main winning secret was simply that they ran very high pump pressure and
small injectors giving unmatched fuel atomisation.

They further frustrated their toiling competitors by skate-boarding round the
pits talking to people between rounds.

Their's is one of my favorite racing stories. One of the 1967 Hot Rod mags
features the story.

Chris Harris........................NZed.


  I have very limited nitro experience (Doug King's arduns) so I may not be
  offering anything useful.
  Relative to fuel atomization I suspect that whatever is right for gasoline
or
  methanol might not necessarily follow for nitromethane. Seems I read once
that
  nitromethane molecules decompose first into oxygen and some other molecules
  and/or radicals giving up energy in the process and then some of the
oxygens
  recombine giving up more energy. Remaining oxygen combines with some of the
  methanol the nitro is dissolved in.   The remaining methanol burns as a
rich
  mixture in the air in the combustion chamber.
  I figure nitro decomposition depends on temperature and pressure in the
  droplet.  This is probably influenced by the droplet size.  The right
  conditions would give the ideal burn results (not too hot or cold).  If one
  injector is off then results can be poor or disastrous.
  By the way, does nitrous behave this way to any extent (as a gas)?
  Anybody know of any real research on this?  I mean controlled lab
experiments,
  papers for critical review, etc.
  Maybe the freeflight community is on top of nitro technology (they're
  surprisingly scientific, those folks).
  I'm sure the top fuel dragster guys know a lot but may not talk about it.

  Ed Weldon





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