Acceleration factoids
Ricochet
12-01-2004, 12:00 AM
oldie but goodie
Subject: Horsepower & Acceleration
Some of us may think we have experienced acceleration g forces, but read this to get a grip of what real acceleration is.
But first, some useful info:
One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the NASCAR Daytona 500.
Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro methane 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 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
Nitro methane 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 one pass. After half-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.
With the enormous cylinder pressures generated by "top fuelers", at full throttle, it's not uncommon to replace the .625" & .750" cylinder head bolts after a few runs, to prevent cylinder leakage due to the bolts being "stretched".
In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at 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 red-line is actually quite high at 9500 rpm.
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 US $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 Shumacher) 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.
yeah, extreme dynamics...
Subject: Horsepower & Acceleration
Some of us may think we have experienced acceleration g forces, but read this to get a grip of what real acceleration is.
But first, some useful info:
One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the NASCAR Daytona 500.
Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro methane 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 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
Nitro methane 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 one pass. After half-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.
With the enormous cylinder pressures generated by "top fuelers", at full throttle, it's not uncommon to replace the .625" & .750" cylinder head bolts after a few runs, to prevent cylinder leakage due to the bolts being "stretched".
In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at 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 red-line is actually quite high at 9500 rpm.
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 US $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 Shumacher) 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.
yeah, extreme dynamics...
knorwj
12-01-2004, 12:15 AM
nice... i like hearing thats its NOT just mashing the pedal and going straight.
Toksin
12-01-2004, 12:57 AM
I love this fact sheet, I read it over and over again and never get tired of it.
Sluttypatton
12-01-2004, 01:59 AM
Same, this is the only repost that I never mind seeing reposted.
KustmAce
12-01-2004, 02:59 AM
Cool comparo, now, where'd I put those damn keys...
Hypsi87
12-01-2004, 11:45 AM
A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to drive the dragster supercharger.
and people think superchargers are better why???
It takes close to 1000 HP to turn a top fuel blower to max boost.
and people think superchargers are better why???
It takes close to 1000 HP to turn a top fuel blower to max boost.
clawhammer
12-01-2004, 11:55 AM
Wow nice comparison and facts. It amazez me. Each run costs like close to $5000.
93rollaracer
12-01-2004, 12:40 PM
wow...that's awesome
Andydg
12-01-2004, 02:04 PM
Wow nice comparison and facts. It amazez me. Each run costs like close to $5000.
Damn...that's about all my car is prolly worth. :mad:
Damn...that's about all my car is prolly worth. :mad:
kittedb18bt
12-01-2004, 02:18 PM
i havent seen it. incredible...
"Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading this sentence."
this is not necessarily the case with everyone, but that REALLY woke me up.
"Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading this sentence."
this is not necessarily the case with everyone, but that REALLY woke me up.
eversio11
12-01-2004, 04:40 PM
I've been to two NHRA championships at Route 66 speedway in Joliet. After being in the pits and seeing the innards of those engines and watching them race.. you'll never see true speed like that again.
goat_launcher
12-01-2004, 10:28 PM
Insane and very eye popping facts. That's insane the whole thing works in the first place.
kitted your sig is hilarious :grinyes:
kitted your sig is hilarious :grinyes:
bakergtr
12-02-2004, 03:23 AM
well then, that was pretty cool, i hope im never a dragger though, its too fast!!
kittedb18bt
12-02-2004, 01:51 PM
thanks goat
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