Combustion Reactions

By: Penny Psihogios

What are the different of chemical reactions?

1) Combustion2) Synthesis3) Decomposition 4) Single

displacement 5) Double

displacement6) Acid-base http://misterguch.brinkster.net/6typesofchemicalrxn.html

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What is combustion reaction

A combustion reaction is when all substances in a compound are combined with oxygen, which then produces carbon dioxide and water. Combustion is commonly called burning. It is an exothermic reaction, which means heat is produced and is easily distinguished. Combustion occurs predominantly in automobiles, homes, and in factories.

http://library.thinkquest.org/2923/react.html http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/63/124363-004-81232F4C.jpg

What is the fire triangle?

The fire triangle or combustion triangle is a simple model for understanding the ingredients necessary for most fires. The triangle illustrates a fire requires three elements: heat, fuel, and oxygen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_triangle

http://curriculum.toxicology.wikispaces.net/file/view/Presentation6.jpg/56056404/Presentation6.jpg

What is activation energy?

The energy that an atomic system must acquire before a process can occur.

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=activation%20energy

https://chemistry.twu.edu/tutorial/activation-energy.gif

Why is heat/energy a necessary part of the fire triangle?

Heat is the energy component of the fire tetrahedron. When heat comes into contact with a fuel, it provides the energy necessary for ignition, causes the continuous production and ignition of fuel vapors or gases so that the combustion reaction can continue, and causes the vaporization of solid and liquid fuels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefighting

http://www.karubecue.com/image/fire%20triangle.jpg

How is the cook top of the stove, a real life example of the fire triangle?

The cook stop of the stove is a real life example of the fire triangle because the stove requires fuel, heat, and oxygen.

http://www.firesafe.org.uk/html/miscellaneous/firetria.htm

http://www.abt.com/images/products/BDP_Images/big_pgb918ss.jpg

What is a combustion engine?

Combustion engine- any of various types of engines driven by energy produced by combustion.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/combustion+engine

http://bkachinsky.transworld.net/files/2009/06/internal-combustion-engine1.jpeg

How does a combustion engine work?

In an internal combustion engine, a fuel, such as gasoline, fills a chamber and then is ignited by a spark plug, causing a small explosion which generates work.

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-an-internal-combustion-engine-work.htm

http://media.photobucket.com/image/combustion%20engine/silverbeam/CSM%20Blog/EngineCutaway.jpg

In terms of combustion, how are NASCAR engines different from street car engines that allow them to

operate at much higher speeds? • The displacement is large -- 358 cubic inches

(5.87 liters). Not many cars have engines this big, but the ones that do usually generate well over 300 horsepower.

• The NASCAR engines have extremely radical cam profiles, which open the intake valves much earlier and keep them open longer than street cars. This allows more air to be packed into the cylinders, especially at high speeds (see How Camshafts Work for more details).

• The intake and exhaust are tuned and tested to provide a boost at certain engine speeds. They are also designed to have very low restriction, and there are no mufflers or catalytic converters to slow the exhaust down either.

• They have carburetors that can let in huge volumes of air and fuel -- no fuel injectors on these engines.

• They have high intensity programmable ignition systems so the spark timing can be customized to provide the most possible power.

• All of the subsystems like coolant pumps, oil pumps, steering pumps and alternators are designed to run at sustained high speeds and temperatures.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question588.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00111/Images/Nascar.png

How does nitrous oxide help engines perform better?

When you heat nitrous oxide to about 570 degrees F (~300 C), it splits into oxygen and nitrogen. So the injection of nitrous oxide into an engine means that more oxygen is available during combustion. Because you have more oxygen, you can also inject more fuel, allowing the same engine to produce more power. Nitrous oxide is one of the simplest ways to provide a significant horsepower boost to any gasoline engine. Nitrous oxide has another effect that improves performance even more. When it vaporizes, nitrous oxide provides a significant cooling effect on the intake air. When you reduce the intake air temperature, you increase the air's density, and this provides even more oxygen inside the cylinder. http://www.fordmustang.in/wp-content/

uploads/2008/12/nossystems.jpg

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question259.htm

Example of cheating in NASCAR in which something was done illegally to increase the combustion performance of

the engine

Michael Waltrip's NASCAR team was heavily fined this week for cheating. Inspectors found an unspecified substance in the engine which was thought to unfairly boost his car's performance.

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/cheating_with_chemistry_in_nascar_whats_an_oxygenate