i have a modded 1.8 fezzie and have experienced power gains from mist coming off the wet road.
i'm now interested in the water injection.
i heard a story that a bloke approached "BP" years ago with this idea, they payed him generously, only to be shelved because they thought it would upset the economy with fuel prices.
does anyone know if it can be used on N/A engines? and can it be made for eperimental purposes rather than spending a grand?
BIG UP EVERYONE.

 

yes, it can be used on a n/a engine.

but let me ask you how you expect to get a power gain from it?

 

I thought, in my childlike knowledge of mechanics, that water injection mostly helped high end detonation on a car that's tuned pretty much beyond it's normal capabilities?

As foreignRS says, it won't increase power, just help not to ruin the engine at high outputs?

I'd love someone to explain to me though if what I said is wrong

 

Water injection on an N/A car does almost nothing.

Its been in widespread use since the 2nd worldwar or there about, so im surprised at BP paying anyone to keep quiet about it.

What are they going to pay someone not to publicise next, wheels?

 

i didn't say that at all. i'm just asking him to put a little thought into it

 

Nitrous injection would be a far better idea.

 

Or beef injection.

 

as long as you put some fuel with it

 

sorry for what might be a silly suggestion, but i was under the impression that, if the water mist is fine enough, it will break down to bare elements when subject to severe heat. .. 2part hydrogen - combustable! and 1part oxygen - combustable.
hence extra fuel to burn with, bigger bang.
obviously mixtures need to be played with some what but... what do you reckon guys?

 

that's one theory on it that i haven't heard before

the idea in most applications of water injection is to supress detonation by reducing the charge air temperatures through the latent heat required for vaporisation (the change of state from liquid to gas) - rather than retarding the ignition.

the fact that the water (or steam as we call it when vaporised) takes up volume in the cylinder/combustion chamber that could have otherwise been used for air (containing combustible oxygen but a much larger portion of non combustible nitrogen) and fuel is said by some to make it less effective than if you were to not get in the position of requiring cooling to prevent detonation in the first place, such as lower compression ratio (real or effective), higher octane fuel, etc, etc.

other parties, particularly those involved in selling such systems, believe otherwise.

the german air force used to use water injection very effectively in their supercharged engines - although maybe not quite effectively enough when you look at the battle of britain

 

i like nitrous... my mates got a mini cooper with nos. its fairly quick but when the buttons pushed it just wants to pull and pull.
but i dont trust myself with a red button. i may aswell throw the engine in the bin if i do that cos i reckon i'll destroy it with nos. i'm only after a few more horses. like 150, out of a 1.8 8v, but no turbo

 

good luck

 

so is this theory of water actually being a potential fuel a load of rubbish then?

 

im not sure i understand why i felt a power gain geez! could it be that my ccar runs a little rich and the denser air from the cold made it a better mixture?

 

Sorry but you are TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY wrong on that one mate.

nitrous breaks down in a way similar to what you explained, water injection absolutely categorically does NOT.

Water injection lowers charge temps which means you can run more advance which can give small gains.
It also acts as a det surpressant.

VERY useful on a big boost turbo motor, utterly pointless on an N/A one though really.

A small nitrous kit like 25-50bhp wont do any harm to your car even if you drive with it engaged ALL the time if its jetted corretly.

But it WILL damage your pocket keep refilling it!


some headwork, cams, and a remap would see the sort of power you are after probably mate!

 

The energy required to 'crack' water, ie, break it into hydrogen and oxygen is well out of your reach m8. If it was as easy as you say we'd be driving water powered cars They use fuel cells on the shuttle, but it's pre 'cracked' in lab.

Don't waste your money on it. Get some Nitrous as chip suggests.

 

top man... this water thing has been buggin me.
with nos, will a 50brake kit actually give you something like 50 or is this an optimum figure?

 

No idea. Ask Chip, he's good with NOS. All I know about it I saw in The Fast And The Furious

 

Depends on the kit and how its setup etc.

I typically get about 55bhp ATW from a "50bhp kit" using a wizards of nos kit though.

 

handy to know, man. so i could actually be lookin at better figures... possibly!

 

[quote="foreigneRS"]Still using water injection on the harrier, without it youd get a big smoking hole in the ground instead of all that hovering and bowing malarky.



If your after cheap gains on a turbo'd motor (not so much gains as lessening losses) then misting water across the face of the intercooler can help lower temps with the obvious bonuses that gives,
combined with a proper water injection system in the inlet plenum and you should see a couple of bhp increase. but only if its set up right. And if its not set up right you can end up with issues where you have water in the bores. POP.




Im interested in trying misting methanol or similar across an intercooler to see what effect that could have probably be ridiculously expensive for the gains youd see but for the effort of sticking a tank, washer pump and jet in the front grille it might get a fair drop on charge temps.


just need to find someone wholl let me spray highly flammable alcohols at the front of thier motor

 

Put Methanol in your water injection Tank its much nore efficient than water & may actually show a Power gain & not a slight loss as when using water.Turbo cars only im afraid.

 

well... i have a huge supercharger which could be an option. have a look at cvh supercharged on projects page.