Random thoughts

[Robert Harris]

Water injection and corrosion and other such concerns.  You do understand that
the combustion of the hydrogen component of fuel with oxygen results in water
and that that's typically about two gallons of water for every gallon of
gasoline burned. Adding water is kinda like peeing in a river - not gonna
change much ( as far as corrosion goes )

Acetone.  Octane about 120 or so.  Primary use as an anti-phase separation
agent at about 10%.  Extreme affinity with water.  Blends with alcohol, water,
gasoline, nitromethane and most other fluids.  Auto ignition temp from about
that of methanol alcohol to over 1000F depending on who and how its tested.
Stoic about 9.5 to 1, heat energy higher that of ethanol, but lower that
gasoline.  Used since moby dick was a minnow to blend various fuel components
that are subject to phase separation together.  Low flash point in comparison
to Nitromethane and Alcohol is helpful in igniting such mixtures easier.

Model fuel.   Typically a blend of Lubricant ( Castor Oil or synthetic castor
oil), methanol and nitromethane.   Nitro percentage ranges from zero to 60 %.
Price varies on percentage.   Model boat fuel - 60% nitro runs about 35$ US
per gallon.  Synthetic castor oil preferred by the modelers.  Note - adding
acetone to this would make it blendable in a water injection system.

Nitromethane and gasoline.  Up to 10% nitromethane can be blended with
gasoline by preblending the nitromethane with equal parts nitro and acetone.
Nitropropane or Nitrobenzene preferred as they blend much better and can be
used at higher ratios.   Higher amount of nitro really should be introduced as
separate BI-FUEL system if you intend to keep burning gasoline.

H2O2 - Hydrogen peroxide.  8% max over the counter.  33% max industrial.
Higher % require special handling included full body suits.  An unpleasant
side effect of neat H2O2 is that it will virtually instantaneously dissolve
human flesh to the bone.  Be careful of any joy juice you make that involves
H2O2  - Hydrazine for example, explodes ( not burns!) on contact with H2O2.
Many other nitrogen based compounds have greatly accelerated burn
characteristics around H2O2.  Note - H2O2 is an early combustion product and
some sources seem to suggest that the addition of some amount of these
products such as formaldehyde or H2O2 will spike the combustion and result in
faster combustion during the induction period.  One of the reasons hydrazine
results in big power boosts in very small percentages is that it adds free
hydrogen and large amounts of energy in the early induction period. This
greatly assists in the tearing apart of the HC molecule and making its energy
available faster.

Mono propellants - be very wary.  Any fuel either a blend of chemicals, or a
true chemical monopropellent  ( Mono - latin for one - one chemical as a
propellent - not a blend mix or whatever ), is subject to flash back.  I.E.
once ignited, it needs no outside source of oxygen or ignition to keep burning
- you don't want it to start traveling back to the storage tank do you.  

Ammonia Nitrate - commercially available as fertilizer.  Totally dissolves in
water.  Minerals drop out.  You may seriously consider using the resultant
stew as water injection. Solves the problem of not being blendable with
petroleum based fluids nicely. 

Just some catching up thoughts - was out of the PDRC for a couple of weeks.

The Luddites were RIGHT!!

Habaneros - not just for breakfast anymore