Acceleration
 

I got this in an email from my buddy Eric this morning and just wow is all I can think of...

> >>> Actual Records are 3.70 Elapsed
> >>> time and top speed is 337 mph and that folks, is quick and
> >>> Fast!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Ever wonder why a Top Fuel
> >>> dragster gets a rebuilt engine after each
> >>> run?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Stay with this - even if you
> >>> aren't a 'car nut', this is
> >>> stunning.
> >>>
> >>> *
> >>> 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 of cars 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 a small
> >>> 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 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 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). (I think the time is now
> >>> closer to 4 seconds, M.)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> 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 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 & 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
> >>> friends.....is acceleration

Wow! That's incredible! Thanks for sharing.

Yup.

Been around top fuel cars since I was a kid (uncle was on a crew).

They are just insane, only thing stopping them from going faster at this time is the tire is actually trying to overlap its self.

Always been a fan and even got my tix already for the Gator Nations in Gainesville next month.

Watched top fuel in New Hampshire last summer, had pit passes to Mac Tools team (Doug Kalitta). It was AWESOME. Loved watching them rebuild the blower, heads etc. and then firing the engine in the pits. The half burned fuel is hard on the eye balls!!!

Thats always cool to read. I always found it fascinating the engine onle makes nine hundred revs during its burnout and run, heck only five hundred forty of it on the actual run. All the other stats are staggeringly huge and that seems staggeringly small (but purely based on numbers it makes perfect sense) :cool:

The 337 mph being referenced is the old quarter mile record. The new record for mph in the 1000 ft era is 332.18. The 3.70 is the correct ET time for the 1000 ft era.

Thats amazing!

I find it hard to believe the 540 revs per light to light run # but the math works out. at 9500 the crank is turning 158 times per second. 3 seconds is only 474 revs. Amazing, I thought it would be many many times that......

Just awesome, I need to get to a race.

PS- most impressive thing I've ever seen is at an air show, when the F18 does a high speed pass not that high up, and it's coming at you right at the sound barrier an it is dead SILENT, until it gets to you, oh man now that's awesome. And it's got another 600+ mph to go! Lol

Wow