Ekliptix
01-13-2003, 11:11 PM
Some interesting Top Fuel dragster facts:
One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower than the first 8 rows at
Daytona.
Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per
second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4
times the energy volume.
The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on
overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before
ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc
welder in each cylinder.
At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame
front of nitro methane 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.
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 of it's fuel flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads
off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of
the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to
re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the
pistons.
To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of
over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch
acceleration is closer to 8G's.
If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once
NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence.
One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower than the first 8 rows at
Daytona.
Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per
second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4
times the energy volume.
The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on
overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before
ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc
welder in each cylinder.
At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame
front of nitro methane 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.
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 of it's fuel flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads
off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of
the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to
re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the
pistons.
To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of
over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch
acceleration is closer to 8G's.
If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once
NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence.