How does/did the water injection systems on some WW2 warplane engines work? It seems counterintuitive that water would boost horsepower.
2006-10-31 17:11:14 · 3 answers · asked by michinoku2001 7 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
water injection isn't as old as you would think. it was used in the air force even into the nineties on KC-135 acft. water injection essentially makes the air more dense, allowing for improved compression in the engine. when the compression is increased in an engine, thrust is vastly improved.
2006-11-02 11:45:16 · answer #1 · answered by killian12oz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heat robs horsepower. A cooler air to fuel mixture makes more power. However you must be careful about how much water goes through your injectors and mixes with the fuel. I believe that the cooler air/water vapor mixture adds more oxygen to the mixture as well allowing for more fuel detonation with out pre ignition. Not only does this improve horsepower, but fuel mileage as well.
2006-11-01 01:22:05 · answer #2 · answered by stevensings20032001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One more factor is that the vaporization of liquid water into steam adds power as the steam expands and increases pressure on the piston during the power cycle.
2006-11-03 15:13:04 · answer #3 · answered by Tom-SJ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋