Knock Knock. Who's there... Detonation!

by Editor

Knock Knock.. Who’s the there? Detonation!

While that may sound funny detonation and pre-ignition are certainly no
laughing matter when it comes to supercharged, turbocharged and naturally
aspirated engines. As you probably already know, detonation (aka “knock”) is
a serious concern in the world of forced induction engines and can often lead
to blown head gaskets, pitting of pistons, scored cylinders or even worse,
catastrophic engine failure such as broken connecting rods and pistons if left
untreated. With the addition of a supercharger or turbocharger, you must
take additional measures to avoid it. Normally, the common solution is
higher-octane fuels or some form of intercooler (i.e. air-to-air or air-to-water).
But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s start from the beginning.

What is normal combustion?

Before we can understand detonation and pre-ignition we must first
discuss and understand the normal combustion process. Under ideal
conditions, the common internal combustion piston gasoline engine
burns it's air/fuel mixture in the cylinder in an orderly and controlled
fashion.

Normal combustion is started at the spark plug some 15-40

crankshaft degrees prior to TDC (top dead center) depending on rpm
and engine load. The spark plug produces an electrical spark that
jumps a small gap from it's center electrode to it's ground electrode.
This spark, if the air/fuel mix is within the ideal flammable range for
the fuel, initiates combustion. The initial phase forms a small flame
kernel approximately the size of the spark plug gap. For the first few
milliseconds of the combustion process, this flame kernel is
struggling to survive, producing only slightly more heat than is
necessary to continue the combustion process. As it grows in size its
heat output increases, allowing it to grow even faster. After this
early slow burn phase passes, the flame kernel grows much faster,
expanding rapidly across the combustion chamber. During this
process, the flame kernel transforms from it's original small round
flame kernel into complex fingers of burning fuel. These fingers have
a much greater surface area than a simple spherical ball of flame
would have, thus greatly accelerating the combustion process.

This is why ignition advance is necessary as it allows time for the

flame front to travel and move throughout the air/fuel mixture and
combustion chamber at a rate ideal for the engine at that rpm and
load..

During this process, the piston is continuing on it's way to top dead
center in which it is further compressing this burning air/fuel
mixture and expanding gases. Cylinder pressures rapidly increase as
the piston makes it‘s way up and over TDC (top dead center). It's at
this point in which it begins to use this power to drive the piston
down on what's called the "power stroke". Actual maximum cylinder
pressure is achieved a few crankshaft degree's after the piston
passes TDC. There by giving the piston a harder push when its speed
and mechanical advantage on the crank shaft gives the best
recovery of force from the expanding gases.

This is normal combustion.

What is detonation?
Detonation occurs when the air/fuel mixture that is ahead of the
flame front ignites before the flame front arrives. It is believed the
air/fuel mixture ahead of the flame front self ignites due to the
pressure and heat of the advancing original flame front. Under these
conditions, the combustion becomes uncontrolled and sporadic,
producing a violent explosion that creates a “pinging” or “knock “
sound. During this process, cylinder pressures can raise rapidly,
beyond the limits of the pistons or rods, leading to engine failure. If
your luck only the head gasket will blow out.

What is pre-ignition?
Pre-ignition is a different phenomenon from detonation as explained above. It
occurs when the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder (or even just entering the
cylinder) ignites before the spark plug fires. This pre-ignition is caused by an
ignition source other than the spark plug. Such alternate ignition sources
include, excessive heat and pressure. Spark plugs with a heat range too hot
for the conditions. Spark plugs with to high of a heat range will run hot
enough to burn off deposits that lead to plug fouling in a worn engine, but the
electrode of the plug itself can occasionally heat soak, and begin glowing hot
enough to become an uncontrolled ignition source on its own. Another
common source is carbon build up in a combustion chamber. Carbon build up
can also become heat soaked to the point where it is glowing red hot and
ignite the air-fuel mixture before the proper time. Under these circumstances,
known as "pre-ignition", the piston will be traveling up towards an on coming
wave of exploding gases. This places a tremendous amount of pressure on
top of the pistons and on down to the connecting rods and crankshaft. These
are the most unfavorable kinds of conditions, which can bend and break
connecting rods, score cylinder walls, break piston rings/lands, destroy
pistons and worse complete catastrophic engine failure.

So What Does Water Methanol Injection Have To Do With All Of This?

In simple terms, water methanol injection protects your engine and the
investment you have in it, by reducing and eliminating engine damaging
detonation and pre-ignition, while safely allowing you to run more boost and
timing for increased horsepower. How does it do it? Here’s a quick summary
below.

Benefits Of Water Methanol Injection:

• Lower air charge temperatures by 40-200+ degrees

• Increase your fuel’s octane by 10-25+ points
• Increase horsepower safely by 10-15%
• Allows you to safely run more boost and timing
• Removes carbon build-up from combustion chambers, pistons and
 valves
• Longer more stable combustion expansion and progression
• Reduces and helps eliminate engine damaging detonation and pre-
ignition
• No need for expensive racing fuel or additives

Lower Air Charge Temperatures By 50-200+ Degrees

By injecting a fine mist of water methanol directly into the engines incoming
air charge has a substantial cooling effect. As the water methanol injection
mixes with the hot incoming air charge, it quickly converts from a liquid state
to a gas state (steam). In doing so, it absorbs significant amounts of heat
from the air charge. Depending on the build of the motor, whether naturally
aspirated, supercharged or turbocharged; intercooled or non-intercooled,
decreases in air charge temperatures will vary between 50-200+ degrees
with cylinder temperatures dropping as much as 300 degree’s.

When combined with engines already out-fitted with air-to-air or air-to-water

intercoolers, users will experience lower decreases (approx. 40-80+ degrees)
in air charge temperatures due to the intercooler already removing a large
portion of the heat from the air charge. While initial air temperature drops are
not as significant as non-intercooled engines, lower overall air charge
temperatures are achieved. Testing has shown that when combined with
either air-to-air or air-to-water intercoolers on supercharged or turbocharged
engines, nearly all the negative added heat from the supercharger or
turbocharger can be removed. Imagine running 8-14 PSI without any of the
added heat from the supercharger or turbocharger. That’s safe reliable
horsepower on pump gas!

Increase Your Fuels Octane By 10-20+ Points

Many of you will be surprised by this. When injected properly, water alone will
not only significantly cool down the air charge temperatures, but will also act
as a very high-octane booster. Read that again if you need too. Researchers
estimate up to a 20-point raise in octane can be achieved by using water
injection with 87-93 octane gas. No need for expensive racing fuels or octane
boosters. A simple water injection system will significantly cool down your air
charge temperatures, while dramatically increasing your fuels octane. The
best part is, water is free and racing gas is notoriously expensive.

So, how does it work? Well, it’s not as simple as hooking up a water hose and
pouring it in to the intake of your engine. Wouldn’t that be interesting? No, it
must be sprayed in a controlled manner at the right time, into the intake air
charge in a fine mist so that it can properly mix with the air/fuel charge. Since
water does not burn, it effectively increases the fuels octane by increasing
the fuels ability to resist self-igniting under higher pressures and hotter
cylinder temperatures. Octane rating is nothing more than how much the fuel
can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. That’s why pumping 116
octane racing fuel into your grandmas 1980 Toyota Corona won’t turn it into
a race car.

What Sort Of Mix Should I Run?

Depending on your application, you can use anything from 100% water to
100% methanol and anything in between (i.e. 30% water and 70%
alcohol/methanol). When using pure alcohol or methanol, greater decreases
in air charge temperatures with higher increases in octane can be achieved.
However, when used by them selves and not mixed with at least 40% water,
alcohol and methanol are extremely flammable. For this reason, we
recommend a 50/50 of water and alcohol/methanol mix, as it is no longer a
flammable liquid, yet still achieves optimal results.

Increase Horsepower Safely By Up To 10-15%

Most significantly, initial horsepower increases are due primarily to the
significant reductions in air charge temperatures offered by water methanol
injection . Along with the initial cooler aircharge temperature, comes a denser
air charge. This creates a greater expansion of power within the cylinder,
since pressure is directly proportional to temperature. The combustion
process also turns the water droplets into a vapor which also helps to create
a pressure raise (much in the same way as does a steam engine) and
prevents the temperatures in the combustion from rushing to a sharp peak
(as it does in a standard engine) and then dropping off. Instead, the
combustion heat increases more slowly, reaching a lower peak temperature
and descending more gradually. In addition, the longer overall combustion
duration creates more pressure than does a standard engine’s cycle.

Allows You To Safely Run More Boost And Timing

Due to the significantly cooler air charge temperatures, cooler cylinder
temperatures and dramatic increase in octane offered by a water methanol
injection system; users can now safely run higher amounts of boost with
more timing then ever before without it.

Removes Carbon Build Up On Pistons And Valves

One of the side effects of water methanol injection is the “steam cleaning”
effect it has on combustion chambers, pistons and valves. With a water
methanol injection system you can help reduce and remove carbon
deposit/build-up in your combustion chambers. This reduces the chances of
developing carbon deposits in the combustion chamber, which can become
heat soaked and lead to pre-ignition as described earlier on.

Conclusion
The benefits from a simple water injection are so remarkable it’s hard now to
imagine running a supercharged or turbocharged system without one.
Regardless, if it’s equipped with an intercooler already. Below is a summery
of these benefits.

• Reduces air charge temperatures by 50-150+ degrees

• Reduces cylinder temperatures by up to 300+ degrees
• Increases your 87-93 octane pump gas by 8-20+ points
• Allows you to safely run more boost and timing
• Longer more stable combustion expansion and progression
• Removes carbon build-up from combustion chambers, pistons and
valves
• Reduces and helps eliminate engine damaging detonation and pre-
ignition

• No need for expensive racing fuel or additives