Motopro,

Thank you for the question. Your last post was right about one thing..... it IS all about oxygen. Do not confuse nitromethane and nitrous oxide, they are considerably different both in spelling and chemical make-up. This is a common incorrect thought.

There are three points.

First, nitrous oxide is comprised of 2 parts nitrogen and one part oxygen (36% oxygen by weight). When the nitrous oxide is heated (on compression stroke), it breaks down and release extra oxygen, However, it is not this oxygen alone which creates additional power, but the ability of this oxygen to burn more fuel. By burning more fuel, higher cylinder pressures are created and this is where most of the additional power is realized.

Secondly, as pressurized nitrous oxide is injected into the intake manifold, it changes from a liquid to a gas (boils). This boiling affect reduces the temperature of the nitrous to a minus .127 Degrees F. This "cooling affect" in turn significantly reduces intake charge temperatures by approximately 60-75 Degrees F. This also helps create additional power.

The third point, the nitrogen that was also released during the compression stroke performs an important role. Nitrogen acts to "buff or dampen" the increased cylinder pressures leading to a controlled combustion process.

I promise you, switching to 30% nitro(methane) won't do that.

(I can not take credit for writing the above paragraphs. While I know and understand the process, it was much more timely for me to copy and paste)