Topic: acceleration

[motorider228]

I got this off a dodge forum I post on.

Subject: Accelleration

Something everybody should know

* 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 1-1/2 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 (stoichiometry: methodology and technology by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions are determined) 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 ½ 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 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 9500rpm.

* 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 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.

[BLACKDOG]

 

That is awesome!!

[rednk1980]

uhhhhhhhhhh! Im in awe! 

[Blingn]

I went to the jet fuel funny cars when they where in sac man that is some major power.  When you go, bring your earplugs and visine for your eyes because of the alchohol motors messed up all of our eyes.  I have never seen it broken down like that before that is cool!   Now how do I put one of those motors in my jeep 

[*FFC*]

Now how do I put one of those motors in my jeep 

[DTB]

$1000 per second.....and i thought 4 wheeling was an expensive hobby 

[motorider228 [OP]]

Now how do I put one of those motors in my jeep 

 

[abnormaltoy]

The most surprising thing is that the drivers can react to a blown head, tires losing grip and recall everything that happened during the run. Another amazing thing is they, and I'm presuming here, don't take a power dump in their shorts from the G forces.

[Wermz84]

[Willy Mammoth]

That's only 8 seconds faster than my old Z and 11 seconds faster than my 84 Nissan 4x4 with the 4.3.

8G's, isn't that 4G's more than black out You only hope you come to before you need to hit the brakes.

That's great, almost like getting shot out of a cannon only faster 

[blackdiamond]

8G's, isn't that 4G's more than black out You only hope you come to before you need to hit the brakes.

In an airplane 8 g's would take most people out, but since the forces are straight back they don't force the blood out of your brain.

[blackdiamond]

Hey BigMike (and other engineer types),

What is the time difference between the Lingenfelter and the dragster at the finish line?  Assume a constant 200 mph and the world record.

[topar]

  Damn!

[blackdiamond]

Damn!

  I hadn't even posted the math to prove the story yet! 

[200 miles/hour] * [5280 feet/mile] = 1,056,000 feet/hour

[1,056,000 feet/hour] * [1 hour / 60 min] * [1 min / 60 sec] = 293-1/3 feet/sec

Rate * Time = Distance

[293-1/3 feet/sec] * = 1320 feet

[1320 feet]  / [293-1/3] = 4.500 sec

4.500 – 4.441 = 0.059 seconds

The Top Fuel Dragster would win by a margin of 0.059 seconds when matching the time of the National Record.  I would be willing to bet that the Lingenfelter would win the majority of the races, 4.500 is an excellent quarter mile time and should be far more consistant and reliable that the Top Fuel Cars.

Marlin could beat a Top Fuel dragster in Low Low Low if it red lighted!