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Acceleration Explained
This was sent to me as an email, not sure on the total truth to it all, but interesting any way.
>> Even if you're not a motor head, this is impressive.
>>>
>> Acceleration explained.
>>
>>
>> * One Top Fuel dragster outfitted with a 500 cubic-inch replica Dodge
>> (actually Keith Black, etc) Hemi engine makes more horsepower (8,000 HP)
>> than the first 4 rows at NASCAR's Daytona 500.
>>
>> * Under full throttle, a dragster engine will consume 11.2 gallons of
>> nitro methane per second; a fully loaded Boeing 747 consumes jet fuel at
>> the same rate but with 25% less energy being produced.
>>
>> * A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to merely
>> 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 lockup at full throttle.
>>
>> * At the stoichio metric 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. Which is typically the
>> output of an electric arc welder in each cylinder.
>>
>> * Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way
>> thru the run, the engine is 'dieseling' from compression and the glow of
>> the 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 enough sufficient force
>> to blow the cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in
>> half !!
>>
>> * Dragsters reach over 300 MPH +... before you have completed reading
>> this sentence.
>>
>> * In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, a dragster must accelerate
>> an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200 MPH well before reaching
>> half-track, at launch the acceleration approaches 8 G's.
>>
>> * 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 for, the pit crew
>> is working for free, & NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run will cost an estimated
>> $1,000 per second.
>>
>> 0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of t he run)
>> 0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run)
>> 6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster on land)
>> 6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin 'chutes at 300 MPH
>>
>> An NHRA Top Fuel Dragster accelerates quicker than any other land vehicle
>> on earth . . quicker than a jet fighter plane . . . quicker than the
>> space shuttle....or snapping your fingers!!
>>
>> The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.420 seconds for
>> the quarter-mile (2004, Doug Kalitta). The top speed record is 337.58
>> MPH as measured over the last 66' of the run (2005, Tony Schumacher).
>>
>> Let's now put this all into perspective:
>>
>> Imagine this...........You are driving a new $140,000 Lingenfelter
>> twin-turbo powered Corvette Z-06. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel
>> dragster is staged & ready to 'launch' down a quarter-mile s trip as you
>> pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard,
>> on up through the gears and blast across the starting line & pass the
>> dragster at an honest 200 MPH.... The 'tree' goes green for both of you
>> at that exact moment.
>>
>> The dragster departs & starts after you. You keep your foot buried hard
>> to the floor, and suddenly you hear an incredibly brutally screaming
>> whine that seares and pummels your eardrums & within a mere 3 seconds the
>> dragster effortlessly catches & 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
>> it not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the planet when he passed
>> you within a mere 1320 foot long race !!!!
>>
>> That, my friends.....is acceleration.
__________________
Mark
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