Edelbrock Performance Nitrous Systems Support
HOW DOES NITROUS OXIDE WORK?
As stated before,
nitrous oxide is an oxidizer. An oxidizer supports combustion by supplying additional oxygen. Initially, the nitrous doesn't help the process. This is because as long as the one oxygen molecule is bonded to the two nitrogen molecules, the oxygen isn't free to aid combustion at all. Only after they've been exposed to the heat of the combustion process will the chemical bond be broken (the bond breaks around 570 degrees), allowing the free oxygen molecule to then contribute to the combustion process. Additional fuel is added along with the nitrous to maintain a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. The end result is more horsepower being created pretty much the
same way a blower or turbocharger does.