cyclone
12-04-2003, 08:53 AM
* 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 11/2 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 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
> > 1/2 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 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 redline 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 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.
> > horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500.
> >
> > * Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 11/2 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 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
> > 1/2 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 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 redline 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 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.