Has anyone heard/seen/thought of using compressed air to feed an engine in the quarter mile?

You need to be able to supply say 30psi@1200 cu ft/min (or 200cu ft for a 10 second run)

That's just a couple of SCUBA tanks... (ignoring the substantial flow issue)

How stupid is this?

Coldie

 

moving 200cu ft out of a small cylinder in 10 seconds, is going to create a lot of friction and (heat)

 

The friction is/would be offset by the pressure drop. When I drain a SCUBA tank, the valve will completely cover in ice (3500psi-15psi is a good drop)

Coldie

 

"fill" a tank to 3500psi in 10 seconds and feel it. the intake on the truck would be on the receiving end of that flow. the cylinder would get very cold as it emptys rapidly

 

Agreed, air being compressed gets hot, but air expanding gets cold.

Wait... damn you're right. if the tank is getting cold, the heat has to go somewhere and that somewhere is the air.

So I need to intercool it, that's OK.



Coldie

 

Coldie
If I'm not mistaken, Mickey Thompson had a funny car set up like this in the early 70's. I don't remember how it ran or if it ran, but I do remember seeing pictures in a Hot Rod or something.
Dale

 

But how much does that tank weigh?

 

The temp rises because you are taking the energy in say a cubic yard and squeezing it into a cubic inch therefore raising the temp above ambient. When that cools to ambient and is expanded back to a cubic yard minus the energy it lost it is "cool" or cold even. If you could discharge the tank(s) fast enough the air going to the engine would be cool/cold like a shot of nitrous is. Hmmm, wouldn't it be simpler just to use the nitrous?

 

Oooh, the room is spinning!

Too.......much.......information...

 

Couple of answers:
120cu ft tank is about 50 lbs.(60 full)

Why not nitrous? Air is free.

It's still a really stupid idea though...

 

Coldie, your idea has merit, if you want to see a stupid idea, follow me over to LS-1.com for some Z-28 mentality, or something
http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...hreadid=126550

 

You're right, I'm a genius in comparison.

Although! I have access to Nitrox (not Nitrous) I can blend my magical SCUBA tanks up to 40% O2, that should give it a little kick...

(40% isn't that dangerous, it will make things burn better, not explode like the pure stuff, which I also have.... )

Coldie