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A lesson in acceleration

Started by _user asked to be removed_ , May 24 2006 10:14 AM

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#1 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 10:14 AM

Youve probably all recieved this in your inbox, it gets sent around, but for those who havent, it's quite interesting

A lesson in acceleration
* 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 11.2 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 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 (3900 degrees C).
* Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapour 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 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 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 riding the average $250,000 Honda MotoGP bike. 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 RC211V hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph (293 ft/sec). The tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your wrist cranked 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.

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#2 _MAWLER_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 11:42 AM

I once had a Sigma wagon which went o.k.

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#3 Heath

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 12:12 PM

I once had a Sigma wagon which went o.k.

I love the way the spark plugs melt over and the engine works like a diesel half way through the run.

What's the compression like?

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#4 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 01:30 PM

Don't know... it'd be heaps but

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#5 _Sammy_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 01:34 PM

well i recently had the chance to see these things for the first time in action at WSID and god damn they were a sight .....

none of the stuff in this first post suprises me after hearing and seeing them run .....

they make 8-10sec cars seem boring

maybe thats why the fuellers run at the end of the night

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#6 Peter UC

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 02:21 PM

I got that from a friend a while ago, a few things wrong namely the g forces. For starters the average G force for the fastest run (approx 330mph) is 3.3 Gs also form the Cowin datalogger launch force is approx 3.5Gs and max force is approx 5Gs. If it were up at 8Gs you would pass out! Nevertheless impressive figures!

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#7 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 03:00 PM

I thought that was wrong, i'll edit it

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#8 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 03:02 PM

I cant edit it :(

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#9 orangeLJ

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 03:15 PM

My folks are always telling me i have too much useless shit and just odd info in my head........ now there is more! i gotta ask though... do you go to skool liam? cus it seems like you are on here whenever i get on. I had a free the other day, got sick of studyin and shit, this was at like 10 in the morn, and Liam was on, between you and Heath this site is always populated!! HA, its always good to see other people on here more then me, i was freakin out cus every second i have free i get on here! HA. Top notch.
CHEERS Chris :rockon:

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#10 Heath

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 03:50 PM

I've been on here constantly coz for the last four days I've been sick as a dog and haven't left the house. Otherwise... I normally drop in once a day when I'm at school (14 frees per fortnight)

Unit 1 finishes tomorrow and I don't feel healthy enough to even go along to hand in my homework (therefore i will fail two subjects) let alone god damn exam revision. I dunno wtf I am going to do.

Edited by Heath, 24 May 2006 - 03:51 PM.

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#11 Tiny

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 04:27 PM

Compression on a nitro engine is around 8:1 ISH.... (Compression is a tuning tool they make mega use of!!)

REmeber though.. that 44Psi of boost from their superchargers is added to that static comp! Not to mention that nitromethane creates its own oxygen as it burns.. thats why its used!

As you read above.. the blower takes up to 1000Hp to actually TURN under full load... Thats why alot of dragsters are trying out turbos.. THey use waste gasses! Imagine IF you could get a Top Fueller to run with a turbo instead of a blower!? another FREE 1000Hp!! Hrm! nice!

There is simply nothing on this planet that compares to a top fuel car Full stop! Those who've witnesses it at australias premiere race tracks like Kiwinana and WSID ( not to mention willowbank) will understand what i mean.. For those who havent... make it a MUST DO at the next event! Even if drag racing bores you.. These things must be FELT to be belived!!

Cheers!

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#12 makka

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 04:29 PM

theyre awesome pieces of machinery, saw one run at heathcote and it was awesome

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#13 _Pete_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 04:55 PM

I'm still trying to get an old conrod for a paperweight for my desk at work from our mechanic, he's crews and builds for a Top alchohol funny car team, $8000 for a set of 8 rods that don't last too long is gonna be tricky to get a freebie!!

I agree there isnt too many sights,sounds or feel of a Top Fueler at full flight in this world!!! Even non gearhead people are awe struck!!!

Edited by Pete, 24 May 2006 - 05:09 PM.

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#14 _chevy_253_torana_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 05:28 PM

i have a terry sainty conrod here its bent but it is a beautiful peice

thanks chevy

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#15 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 06:05 PM

My folks are always telling me i have too much useless shit and just odd info in my head........ now there is more! i gotta ask though... do you go to skool liam? cus it seems like you are on here whenever i get on. I had a free the other day, got sick of studyin and shit, this was at like 10 in the morn, and Liam was on, between you and Heath this site is always populated!! HA, its always good to see other people on here more then me, i was freakin out cus every second i have free i get on here! HA. Top notch.
CHEERS Chris

Hey chris, Yes, I am 13 years of age, and I happend to be home, cause I was sick, and by chance heath was sick aswell, I spend all my spare time on these forums which is always lol, what about you?

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#16 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 06:07 PM

Oh and there are two Liams, Liam, and Liam.W I think the other Liam is alot older then me or something, i dunno

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#17 _Oldn64_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 06:08 PM

Oh and there are two Liams, Liam, and Liam.W I think the other Liam is alot older then me or something, i dunno

Correct he is alot older than you but his real name is not liam.....

Cheers

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#18 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 07:42 PM

Arc welders use more than the 88 amps suggested in the original post. Mind you, the actual figure depends on the electrode used.

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#19 orangeLJ

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 09:03 PM

Well thats a bit scary.... ive been sick for like the last couple weeks. U name it ive had it... well some things, started with tonsilitus (tonsils blocked my airway they were so infected) then it turns out that the chronic fatigue i had b4 my tonsils was glandular fever, and the pennicillan i was on for my tonsils doesnt like the glandular fever virus so i got some mad itchy red rash from head to toe, and my throat and face swelled up and i ended up in hospital. but yeh, i have atleast one free a day (80 minute periods!!) so yeh i spend a bit of time on here at skool.. people dont get it tho (the life of a car nut... even worse a torana nut) but yeh. back to skool today for half a day tho, cant afford to miss too much of my HSC year. HA.
Cheers, Chris :rockon:

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#20 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 09:14 PM

My younger brother missed out on three weeks of year 12 due to his appendix being removed. He still managed second high score in the school. My oldest brother had his appendix out in year 12. He took so much time off he failed. Didn't stop him getting the job he wanted, though.

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#21 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 09:17 PM

Yeah.. My brother is currently in yr 10, should be in 11, but stayed down in prep, although I cant see why they kept him down, his bloody smart, so we'll see how his yr 12 goes.. although he recently scored the job he wants for work experience... - Park Ranger (He'd be pretty good at it to)

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#22 RIM-010

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 09:29 PM

I spend too much time on here (its impossible, i know). Because im in a boarding house, we have t use our school internet account for personal use. this means

1 - just about everything is blocked

2 - we have no money on our accounts left over for school use!

But hey, i dont care. What price can you put on knowledge?

RIM

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#23 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 09:31 PM

Hmmmm i'd be saying something around 60 billion, look at bill gates! lol
Na but your onestly true

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#24 orangeLJ

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Posted 24 May 2006 - 11:03 PM

My skool is meant to be one of those fangle dangle "selective" schools, suppose thats why they wont me out then! been suspended three times, one more and no school in NSW will let me in! HA. i've never actually tried, all my teachers tell me that if i applied myself...yada yada yada.. i dont want much from life, ive just got a trial as an apprentice mechanic when my HSC is over so im happy. I already own one of my dream cars, and only 3 months out from my 18th i think im doin pretty well!! aiming for bout 75-80 UAI could prob get better if i studied but then my torana would be dirty and undermaintaned...... choices ay...!!! HA
CHEERS, Chris :rockon:

Hey RIM, i dunno what it is but some freaky deek computer whiz at skool knows some site that you go to that lets you go to other sites, gets you aorund the firewalls. Alternitively there are a tonne of programs, in yr 7 we just broke into the computing staff room and deleted all the blocking programs from the computers, then changed all our own access to "full administrator" thats probably how we got caught!!.

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#25 Tiny

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Posted 25 May 2006 - 02:07 AM

Pete: Ive got a genuine Arias ( i think?? might be a venolia?) piston from one of santo's grenades... It helps when you know the guy who;s doing the pistons/rings at teh track

hehehe

Even still got the kendal 70 weight oil on it!.. Only lightly scuffed down the side too ( COmpared to SOME of the carnage!! heheh!)

Hang around the pits long enough your bound to get some freebies! In the USA apprently they give away HEAPS as a drawcard!!

Cheers!