tyre inflation - nitrogen?

[JD]

http://www.albatyres.co.uk/specialoffers.html#

what is the difference? i know that nitrogen is more dense etc etc so the possibilities could be less sound from the road, less "bounce" in tyre etc etc


just wondered if anyone knew straight fact?


not sure that this is the right part of cs, but mods . . . sue me

jamie

 

[ditz]

dosn't expand with temp change is the reason i heard

 

[Marky_]

dosn't expand with temp change is the reason i heard

Correct.

I prefer air.

 

[Ad]

dunno but costco have been using it for a while!

 

[pinky]

Wouldnt it be better to use helium?? would take some weight off the car..lol.

 

[Marky_]

Also supposed to keep the tyre fully inflated longer due to the larger molecules.

 

[dazraffan]

got asked if i wanted to pay extra for the nitro inflation the told me its the latest thing from f1 and it wil make my wheels lighter!

 

[steviet]

Tyre inflation with nitrogen has been around for years. Certainly in aircraft tyres. I believe the reason for using pure nitrogen (as opposed to air which is 70% nitrogen, 30% oxygen) is that it is inert and will not react to the immense heat generated through the tyre when an aircraft lands. (imagine the forces on the tyre, a Boeing 747 landing at 100 mph or thereabouts). Im not sure that any benefit would come from using pure nitrogen in the tyres on a road car though.

 

[Ali]

lot a shite, wasn't even good for a tenth of a second on track.

 

[Lagerlout]

Tyre inflation with nitrogen has been around for years. Certainly in aircraft tyres. I believe the reason for using pure nitrogen (as opposed to air which is 70% nitrogen, 30% oxygen) is that it is inert and will not react to the immense heat generated through the tyre when an aircraft lands. (imagine the forces on the tyre, a Boeing 747 landing at 100 mph or thereabouts). Im not sure that any benefit would come from using pure nitrogen in the tyres on a road car though.

Yup. I'm also struggling to believe there'd be any noticeable gain in a road car.

Oh and air is 78% Nitrogen 21% Oxygen and 1% of other gases (CO2, noble gases) iirc

As a side note, I've been using Nitrogen in my PCP air rifle for over two years without noticing any difference or encountering any problems.

Oh and for the OP, Nitrogen is actually less dense than air although not by much.

 

[ditz]

Wouldnt it be better to use helium?? would take some weight off the car..lol.

i thought i was gonna be the only one thinking of saying that :lolup:


might fly to fcs

 

[GazCB]

dosn't expand with temp change is the reason i heard

It won't expand as the tyre is a sealed container of constant volume. However, if you put energy in (heat produced from flexing of tyre sidewalls and friction on road surface) then that energy goes into increasing the pressure in the tyre instead.

Energy is neither created, nor destroyed, only converted from one form to another. Pressure is a form of energy. Tyres filled with Nitrogen will increase their pressure if the tyre cannot expand (which lets assume it doesn't) just as a tyre filled with air or pure oxygen would.

Take a cold pressure reading from an aircraft tyre. Then get the aircraft to take off and land 5 times and you will notice a significant increase in the pressure reading taken after. Rarely will I be so bold as to say what I am about to say, but this is a fact.

 

[R1XPH]

Only stops the expansion at very high temperatures, water vapour in the air boils causing the pressure to rise, in a road car you wont get those temperatures unless you set fire to the tyre.

Might as well stick to free compressed atmosphere

 

[ditz]

dosn't expand with temp change is the reason i heard

It won't expand as the tyre is a sealed container of constant volume. However, if you put energy in (heat produced from flexing of tyre sidewalls and friction on road surface) then that energy goes into increasing the pressure in the tyre instead.

Energy is neither created, nor destroyed, only converted from one form to another. Pressure is a form of energy. Tyres filled with Nitrogen will increase their pressure if the tyre cannot expand (which lets assume it doesn't) just as a tyre filled with air or pure oxygen would.

Take a cold pressure reading from an aircraft tyre. Then get the aircraft to take off and land 5 times and you will notice a significant increase in the pressure reading taken after. Rarely will I be so bold as to say what I am about to say, but this is a fact.

i've read that 3 times and i still dont get it.

so you are saying, air or nitrogen dont expand as they are enclosed in a sealed tyre.
but heat makes the pressure increase because its converting heat energy to pressure..


so, nitrogen does this less so?



or should i just give up trying to understand now lol :S

 

[dangerous dave]

you cant get a tyre filled with 100% nitrogen, its full of room air before you put a drop in yourself, but it is better for most cases..

some truck/lorry/van drivers say it makes there vehicles handle funny, perhaps its in the mind, but perhaps not..

its more important keep a constant pressure in tyres these days as theres less deflection with these wide 30-40 profiles making them wear out like martha farkers..

 

[Gumby]

Wouldnt it be better to use helium?? would take some weight off the car..lol.

Helium molecules are too small and would probably escape

 

[GazM]

gains - very very doubtfull. The reason i've always herd are thats the tyres dont deflate as easy, must be the lager molecules.

Good if you can never be arsed checking you tyres

 

[dveight]

i work for costco and am also in charge of checking nitrogen the most nitrogen ive managed to get in a tyre is 96% and only because it was a big tyre with a high pressure. its normally around 70-80% mainly because without producing a vacuum within the tyre first you can never get 100% nitrogen. we don't charge. you need to have a very small leak for the molecule size to make a differance. we have loads of people complaining about fluctuating pressures and before you ask the tank has 99.8% nitrogen in it. its just a stepping stone to an actual achievement.

 

[steviet]

TBH, i dont think its worth spending any money on getting your tyres filled with 100% nitrogen, youll probably notice no difference. However, its up to you. If you find that having nitrogen inflated tyres gains you x seconds per lap round castle combe, then come tell us that its the best thing since sliced bread. Otherwise ill just stick to putting air in my tyres. cheers

 

[mgoode180566]

you cant get a tyre filled with 100% nitrogen, its full of room air before you put a drop in yourself, but it is better for most cases..

some truck/lorry/van drivers say it makes there vehicles handle funny, perhaps its in the mind, but perhaps not..

its more important keep a constant pressure in tyres these days as theres less deflection with these wide 30-40 profiles making them wear out like martha farkers..

we vac out the tyres on the race car and fill with nitrogen. its more stable through heat changes.