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Question -- why not go with liquid oxygen? Does that push the danger-meter too high? On the plus side, you're not dealing with 3000 psi compressed gas. I'm ass

Question -- why not go with liquid oxygen? Does that push the danger-meter too high? On the plus side, you're not dealing with 3000 psi compressed gas. I'm assuming the costs involved in making engines capable of withstanding cryogenic temperatures probably make that impractical (?)

chongli 2y ago
And instead of gasoline carry liquid hydrogen. Dragsters are practically horizontal rockets anyway. Might as well stop pretending!
- lupusreal 2y ago
  Liquid hydrogen is very bulky, the tank might be large enough to impact the aerodynamics. Use kerosene instead, and maybe use RFNA instead of oxygen, just to bump the danger level up to Abjectly Stupid.
  - wiml 1y ago
    I'll just flip my copy of Ignition! open to a random page and build a car around that...
- dabiged 1y ago
  Liquid hydrogen can also cause hydrogen embrittlement. Not ideal in a high performance machine.
  - shitpostbot 1y ago
    [dead]
a_shoeboy 2y ago
If you're going to cheat, way cheaper to put nitrous oxide in the tank and claim it's compressed air. 50% boost in oxygen content without having to engineer your engine to not burn when pure O2 hits it.
deleted 2y ago
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kazinator 2y ago
Think: would a drag race last long enough that you need to cram that much more oxygen into a small tank?
toomuchtodo 2y ago
Nitrous oxide is the safer equivalent, relatively speaking. Pure O2 would make things burn that normally don't burn, and increase engine detonation.
Aurornis 2y ago
You can't have liquid oxygen at room temperature. It's physically impossible. It would have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures at all times. Look up "critical point" and a phase chart to understand why. It's an interesting physics topic that isn't obvious if you've never seen it before.
alnwlsn 2y ago
3000psi gas is the easy way. You just need a couple valves instead of a bunch of insulated stuff that has to not freeze up at -200C.
everforward 2y ago
I think it becomes easier to just use a different fuel that is partially self-oxidizing. E.g. Top Fuel uses nitromethane rather than gasoline. Gasoline's stoichiometric ratio is 14.7:1 air:fuel, nitromethane is 1.7:1. Nitromethane in Top Fuel is already so volatile that the superchargers have to be wrapped in kevlar because the fuel blows up in them sometimes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Fuel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Fuel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane
shipp02 1y ago
Liquid oxygen will oxidize anything it comes in contact with. You have to use specific metals for the connections and piping.

chongli 2y ago

And instead of gasoline carry liquid hydrogen. Dragsters are practically horizontal rockets anyway. Might as well stop pretending!

lupusreal 2y ago
Liquid hydrogen is very bulky, the tank might be large enough to impact the aerodynamics. Use kerosene instead, and maybe use RFNA instead of oxygen, just to bump the danger level up to Abjectly Stupid.
- wiml 1y ago
  I'll just flip my copy of Ignition! open to a random page and build a car around that...
dabiged 1y ago
Liquid hydrogen can also cause hydrogen embrittlement. Not ideal in a high performance machine.
- shitpostbot 1y ago
  [dead]

a_shoeboy 2y ago

If you're going to cheat, way cheaper to put nitrous oxide in the tank and claim it's compressed air. 50% boost in oxygen content without having to engineer your engine to not burn when pure O2 hits it.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

kazinator 2y ago

Think: would a drag race last long enough that you need to cram that much more oxygen into a small tank?

toomuchtodo 2y ago

Nitrous oxide is the safer equivalent, relatively speaking. Pure O2 would make things burn that normally don't burn, and increase engine detonation.

Aurornis 2y ago

You can't have liquid oxygen at room temperature. It's physically impossible. It would have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures at all times. Look up "critical point" and a phase chart to understand why. It's an interesting physics topic that isn't obvious if you've never seen it before.

alnwlsn 2y ago

3000psi gas is the easy way. You just need a couple valves instead of a bunch of insulated stuff that has to not freeze up at -200C.

everforward 2y ago

I think it becomes easier to just use a different fuel that is partially self-oxidizing. E.g. Top Fuel uses nitromethane rather than gasoline. Gasoline's stoichiometric ratio is 14.7:1 air:fuel, nitromethane is 1.7:1. Nitromethane in Top Fuel is already so volatile that the superchargers have to be wrapped in kevlar because the fuel blows up in them sometimes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Fuel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Fuel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane

shipp02 1y ago

Liquid oxygen will oxidize anything it comes in contact with. You have to use specific metals for the connections and piping.