Chemistry Connections

Episode #4  

Welcome to Chemistry Connections, our names are Shaan and Maharsh and we are your hosts for episode #4 called Chemistry of Nitrous in Engines Today we will be discussing how nitrous works to increase power in engines

Segment 1: Introduction to Nitrous Oxide Engines

• Nitrous oxide is used in cars to help them go faster and get more power out of their engines
• Commonly referred to as NOS 
• It is usually stored in the form of a liquid inside a cylinder
• Engines are powered by fuel and the amount of air that can be compressed
• More air = more power
• Nitrous Oxide is a gas injected into the engine which breaks down into Oxygen and nitrogen
• The oxygen molecule is then used in the combustion process of the engine
• Nitrous is heavy and needed in high capacity to power an an engine so that's why you see drivers use the nitrous for a short amount of time
• There are 2 main types of nitrous systems, a wet and a dry system
• In a dry nitrous system, nitrous oxide is added directly into the fuel-injector and causes an increase in oxygen levels
• In a wet system, N2O is added to the fuel using a special nozzle that regulates the amount of nitrous in the fuel
• The wet nitrous system is more prone to backfires, or flames shooting out of the exhaust. 

Segment 2: The Chemistry Behind N2O Engines

Chem topic 1: Combustion rxn/Exothermic rxn

• Air is compressed and ignited in an engine, which drives a piston and powers the car
• N2O allows for more oxygen to enter the engine, this increases the amount of fuel that can be let in
• More oxygen = more fuel = more power 
• As the nitrous oxide decomposes and is injected, it releases nitrogen and oxygen into the engine
• This means that more oxygen is present to enter the engine and become part of the combustion reaction

Chem topic 2: bonds breaking/bond strength

• Energy is required to break apart bonds
• The O atom in the N2O has a strong bond to the N2 
• Lots of heat is required to break these bonds
• More heat is released when the bonds are broken
• This means that the reaction is exothermic
• The molecule N2O is a polar molecule that has covalent bonds

Chem topic 3: redox rxn/nitrous oxide is an oxidizing agent 

• Nitrous is an oxidizing agent
• This means that it is reduced
• Gains electrons
• The reaction that takes place in the engine is a redox reaction
• This means that electrons are transferred from one particle to another
• The decomposition of nitrous oxide is a redox reaction and the combustion reaction is also a redox reaction

Segment 3: Personal Connections

• We both watched all the Fast and the Furious movies and were interested on how nitrous increases a cars top speed
• Nitrous is an important part of the franchise as it allows the racers to use it to their advantage to beat the competition
• This topic will allow us to better understand the chemistry behind some of our favorite movies and moments from TV
• Understanding how nitrous impacts the engine, and what makes it work, may help us to better understand certain aspects of our own cars
• It's important to us because it allows us to use what we learned in chemistry and apply it to real life

Thank you for listening to this episode of Chemistry Connections. For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit www.hvspn.com. 

Sources:

https://www.carpart.com.au/blog/educational/how-does-nitro-boost-nitrous-oxide-work-in-cars#:~:text=The%20Chemistry%20behind%20Nitro%20Boost,average%2C%20the%20power%20output%20increases.&text=Air%20allows%20a%2012%25%20lower,to%20that%20of%20nitrous%20oxide. 

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/engineering-explained-how-nos-works/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide#Internal_combustion_engine 

https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/internal-combustion-engine-basics#:~:text=In%20a%20spark%20ignition%20engine,piston%20during%20the%20power%20stroke. 

Music Credits

Warm Nights by @LakeyInspired