mission vending Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 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 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 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). 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 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderJerry Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I don't know anything about drag racers, but the part about the 747 is total BS...absurd to even suggest it when you think of the difference in mass you are trying to accelerate...that the silly little dragster would produce 25% more power than a 747... -------------------------------- "Fully loaded at 400 tons, the Boeing 747 requires 90 mega-watts (MW) of energy to get airborne. This relates to 120,000 horsepower (hp). The energy consumption during cruising is reduced to half, or 45MW (60,000hp)." -------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Can'tsee how anyone could have the least interest in dragsters - I'm happy to hear they need a new engine each run, time to wake up and get a life. About the only racing I will watch is Nascar. Dale Earnheart's last run was a thing of beauty - he held off the the whole pack for 20 plus laps to allow his teamate, Waltrip Jr. to easily win that race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Can'tsee how anyone could have the least interest in dragsters - I'm happy to hear they need a new engine each run, time to wake up and get a life. About the only racing I will watch is Nascar. So you don't see the appeal of dragsters but Nascar does appeal to you? Isn't that like saying, "I could never watch paint dry, but do enjoy watching grass grow" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I would actually prefer to watch paint dry than grass grow. If I'm watching paint dry, it means my work is done. If I'm watching grass grow, it means I'll soon have work to do. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I would actually prefer to watch paint dry than grass grow. If I'm watching paint dry, it means my work is done. If I'm watching grass grow, it means I'll soon have work to do. Well if you are sitting around watching either -- work is exactly what you need! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunCandy Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 In reality they don't rebuild motor, they tear apart motor looking for any effects of failure due to the massive amounts of stress put to engine from all the hp they make from the supercharger to the nitro injected into engine. Unless they blow the supercharger off engine or throw a rod through block the block stays between the frame rails. I do know they can't have anything in pockets, due to the g-force it exerts on body your body will have all kinds of bruises! Don Garlets had to stop driving because his retnairs was detaching from the back of his eyes due to the G-forces of acceleration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I would actually prefer to watch paint dry than grass grow. If I'm watching paint dry, it means my work is done. If I'm watching grass grow, it means I'll soon have work to do. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk Watch grass grow? First watch the snow melt! Only then can you watch the "Green Green Grass of Home" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Watch grass grow? First watch the snow melt! Only then can you watch the "Green Green Grass of Home" You are correct my friend. I'm still at least a month away from even seeing any grass. Much less watch it grow. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I have been to the u.s. nationals in Indianapolis for the top fuel cars. It is nothing short of incredible. The most power you will see out of a v8 In your LIFE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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