[alfa] OT: acceleration

[webb.p@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Got this from another list.   OT, but fun for gearheads everywhere...

> Subject: The definition of acceleration. 
> * One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more 
horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500. 
> * Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of 
nitromethane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the 
same rate with 25% less energy being produced. 
> * A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to 
drive the dragster supercharger. 
> * With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on 
overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a near-solid form 
before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at 
full throttle. 
> 
> * At the stoichiometric (stoichiometry: methodology and technology 
by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions 
are determined) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitromethane the flame 
front temperature measures 7050 degrees F. 
> 
> * Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen 
above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from 
atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases. 
> 
> * Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the 
output of an arc welder in each cylinder. 
> * Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 
= way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of 
exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down 
by cutting the fuel flow. 
> 
> * If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro 
builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with 
sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or 
split the block in half. 
> 
> * In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must 
accelerate an average of over 4G's. In order to reach 200 mph well 
before half-track, the launch acceleration approaches 8G's. 
> 
> * Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have 
completed reading this sentence. 
> * Top Fuel Engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light 
to light! 
> * Including the burnout the engine must only survive 900 
revolutions under load. 
> * The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm. 
> * The Bottom Line; Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the 
crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs 
an estimated $1,000.00 per second. 
> 
> The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441 seconds 
for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher). The top speed 
record is 333.00 mph. (533 km/h) as measured over the last 66' of 
the run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta). 
> 
> Putting all of this into perspective: You are driving the average 
$140,000 Lingenfelter "twin-turbo" powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile 
up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch down 
a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying 
start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across 
the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. 
The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster 
launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you 
hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 
3 seconds the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the 
finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed him. 
Think about it, from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 
200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road 
when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race course. 
> 
> That folks, is acceleration 
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided