Acceleration

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:19 pm

ACCELERATION PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE

* One Top Fuel dragster outfitted with a 500 cubic-inch 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. (Note: the new Chrysler Hemi is not a true hemi. It is only a "Hemi" because Chrysler has the trademark on the name and chooses to call this engine a "Hemi")

* 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 stoichiometric 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 sparkplug, 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 force sufficient to blow the cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half!!

* Top fuel 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 675 revolutions from light to light!

* Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 9000 revolutions under load.

* The red line 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 $1000 per second.

0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of the 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).

So, in summary... 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 strip 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, and 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 sears 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 friend..... is acceleration!

14x4 · Post by **14x4** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:32 am

rlrnr53 · Post by **rlrnr53** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:21 am

Interesting facts. Thanks for posting

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:16 am

Great post!

It surprises me that these men (& women) don't pass out from the hard g's they encounter.

I wonder if they are holding their breath and tightening every muscle in their body to prevent blood loss to the head like fighter pilots?

Steve

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:40 am

It may have something to do with the duration? Maybe the direction? No time for all the blood to be forced to the legs and away from the brain? Jet pilots may endure G forces for a much greater duration. The Dragster pilot has to stay awake for a few seconds

I am sure that either requires better conditioning than the average person.
I'd probably black out from the adrenaline rush , but I would have a smile on my face

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:21 pm

I just read an article about how IRL drivers don't want to race at tracks like Talladega or any high speed oval because they can actually go too fast which creates 4+ g's on every turn.
I can't remember which track IRL was testing at, but it was a track here in the US that IRL wanted to add to the list, but after a few practice laps, almost every driver came into the pits complaining of severe dizziness.

That track was not added to the list!

I guess there is such a thing as "too fast"!

Steve

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:14 pm

Keep in mind the "G" forces fighter pilots have to endure are generally ones trying to sink them into the seat hence the development of the anti-G suit that inflates to put pressure from the waist down to force the blood to remain higher up in the body to prevent black-outs etc. A bit different from those trying to force a driver sideways or back into the seat.

Horsehammerr · Post by **Horsehammerr** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:15 pm

Texas Motor Speedway, blackout track

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:43 pm

Horsehammerr wrote:Texas Motor Speedway, blackout track

That's the one!

Steve

Horsehammerr · Post by **Horsehammerr** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:19 am

I think I heard on some NASCAR talk, that they recut the banking to a lower degree in hopes to get more open wheel racing. Seems like a lot of expence, but I guess the payback would justify it.