The pursuit of increased performance of ones motorcycle is a mechanical and chemical one , the latter is usually persuade after the mechanical approach is exhausted. The mechanical is the undertaking of designing the mechanical parts with the goal of achieving the most oxygen delivered to a given displacement. And doing so with the least amount of physical size and weight. If the oxygen is abstracted from the atmosphere only , the engine is referred t as a normal aspirated engine. If the oxygen is increased mechanically , the engine is referred to as turbocharged , supercharged , blown or nitrous oxide assisted. There comes a time when the mechanical avenue to increase the volumetric efficiency has exhausted itself, only very minute gains can be
achieved after a certain point by R and D. The deep pockets of some will always continue to develop even further the thought to be ultimate.
Assuming the venues of a race bike has no restrictions as to the type of fuel and meats scrutiny of the promoters officials, The easiest way to achieve amazing amounts of H. P. is changing the fuel used. The old saying , which we have all heard, (gasoline is for washing parts, alcohol is for drinking
and nitro is for racing) never truer words were ever spoken. Top fuel dragsters are making 8,000 H. P. , for 4 1/2 seconds, so amazing H. P. can be achieved but at a cost, the mechanical parts take a beating and would not continue to remain in one piece for 5 seconds. If the next step is to run fuel , consider how long the race and how munch time and money you want to spend on the type of racing that requires fuel to be competitive.
The most common of the fuels used in the internal combustion engine are , diesel, gas , alcohol , and nitro . Subtract diesel from the fuels to be discussed.
There are additives that are commonly used to enhance the characteristics THE of the afore mentioned fuels. They are benzene ,toluene , propylene oxide and octane boosters. Remember octane is not a chemical, it is a number given to gasoline fuel to give its rate of burn, and the amount of BTU per pound of the particular gas formula, the most common being c8hio.
We know that a BTU (British thermal unit) is the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water I degree Fahrenheit. The amount of heat an engine can make determines its H.P. reading on the brake. The limiting factor as to how much H.P.a given engine can produce is its mechanical strength and its ability to cool the unwanted excess heat that is absorb into the engine itself, the engine needs some heat(350 to 370 degree) cylinder head temperature to gain a working temperature for complete effective combustion. Access heat can kill a engine quite quickly as well as other things such as detonation . That pinging sound you hear is the fuel being burned exceeds the speed of sound and breaks the sound barrier . A bull whip makes its sound when the end of the whip's speed breaks the sound barrio.
When you light a pool of gasoline on the ground, the woooff you hear is the fuel burn exceeding the speed of sound. At least that is my thoughts and probably subject to debate.
A US gallon of gasoline contains approximately 114,000 BTU ----AIR/FUEL ratio 12.8 air to 1 fuel
A US gallon of alcohol contains approximately 80,000 BTU -----AIR/ FUEL ratio 6.0 air to 1 fuel
A US gallon of nitro contains approximately 53,176 BTU------AIR/FUEL ratio 1.7 air to 1 fuel
Even though the fuels containing a lesser BTU rating per volume , they produce much more power due to the fact that they need a lesser amount of oxygen required to burn efficiently , the volume is about 2 1/2 to 1 for alcohol which gives you about a 20 % H.P. increase when you get it right. You need a minima of 13 to 1 compression ratio for a alcohol engine to come a live, use a mix of 10% race gas ,10% toluene or benzene (which ever is available) 80% alcohol .
Cheers
Max
excuse the sp
excuse the sp
A US gallon of nitro contains approximately 53,000 BTU
