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A note about automotive acceleration...

Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007
edited January 2010 in General Discussion
Got this via email from a friend.

Doug



>A lesson in acceleration but first some useful information:
>
> 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 Top Fuel Dragster engine consumes
> 1.5 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 426 Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough
> power to drive the dragster's 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 a 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 after cutting the fuel flow.
>
> If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned
nitro
> builds up in the affected cylinder 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 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 mph 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 $1,000.00 per second. The current
> Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441 seconds for the
> quarter mile. The top speed record is 333.00 mph as measured
> over the last 66' of the run.
>
> Putting all of this into perspective:
>
> You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo
> Corvette Z06. More than a mile up the road, a Top Fuel
> dragster is staged and ready to launch down a measured
> quarter-mile as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying
> start. You run the Vette 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, but you hear a
brutal whine that sears your eardrums,
> and within three seconds, the dragster catches you and
> beats you to the finish line, a quarter-mile from where you
> just passed him. From a standing start, the dragster spotted
> you 200 mph and not only caught you but nearly blasted
> you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 feet.
>
> That, my friends, is acceleration!

attributed to Motor Trend

* edited to add attribution

Comments

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    shooter4shooter4 Member Posts: 4,457
    edited November -1
    Yup, motortrend.
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    MaaloxMaalox Member Posts: 5,160 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Although I have seen this list many times, I still enjoy reading it. Unless you have stood next to one of these beasts taking off down the quarter mile you have no idea what it feels like.

    My suggestion is for everyone to attend at least one NHRA national event. Once there you will be hooked.

    Dragster.jpg
    Regards, MAALOX
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    Warpig883Warpig883 Member Posts: 6,459
    edited November -1
    Good read. That is why I love drag racing and think nascar is for sissies.
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    cowdoccowdoc Member Posts: 5,847 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    yep,i would about give my right one maybe i would..for the chance to light a topfuel up and take it to the other end....[:D] i just love the sound of one idling.
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    jtmarine0831jtmarine0831 Member Posts: 908 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just want to crash one! Hell I think I've crashed every thing else!!HEhehehe[:D][:D][}:)][:D][}:)]
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    cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,432 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been to the Indy nationals labor day weekends many times since '58. I watched Sneeky Pete hit 150 with a mouse. I saw Gartlis shave his beard. My son and I have driven our modest 11 second 406 Camero down that strip. To be in the stands 100 feet away when a top fuel pass goes by - it makes your guts vibrate. There is nothing like it - except for that girl I met in Deadwood back in '91!
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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    fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    Kenny Bernstein IS GOD!!! I used to LIVE at MOROSO MSW in PB Gardens.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTmM3jut05Q

    It's the scent of the NITRO, that really does it to me ..[:p]
    The "Winter Nationals, in Gainesville was allways good too.
    Citrus Nats. are right here in Palm Be[:D]ach Gardens..
    ABout time to check the schedual....
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    ZebraZebra Member Posts: 5,762
    edited November -1
    I've heard that if you crash at over 280mph you see Elvis when you close your eyes?
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    kallwilsonkallwilson Member Posts: 13 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello friends

    A note about automotive acceleration sensors are designed to detect changes in force resulting from tilt, motion, positioning, shock and vibration. For consumer electronics that require a fast response time, high sensitivity, low-current consumption, low-voltage operation and a standby mode in a small profile package, Freescale's acceleration sensors are an ideal solution.
    One of the primary applications of Freescale's acceleration sensors is in the use of next-generation automotive airbag systems. Freescale's inertial acceleration sensors are engineered to detect an automobile crash by measuring the abrupt deceleration of a vehicle and then triggering air bag deployment. The accelerometers' advanced transducer design enhances sensor offset performance and over-damping response, which helps improve system reliability and resistance to high-frequency and high-amplitude parasitic vibrations. The devices are designed to help distinguish airbag system conditions that might trigger a false deployment, such as a door slam or high vibrations during vehicle assembly.

    Thanks to all friends .
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    big genobig geno Member Posts: 2,685 ✭✭
    edited November -1
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    Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007
    edited November -1
    One of the Member's posts to kallwilson was either poofed, or edited out by the writer.

    Interesting.

    Doug
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