Dragster facts
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Elkton, MD
Dragster facts
I think this is Lightning related enough to post here, since it is about supercharged motors and drag racing.
* One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8
rows
at Daytona
* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro
per
second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747, but with 4
times the energy volume.
* The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
* Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on
overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly solid form before
ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
* Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an
arc welder in each cylinder.
* At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame
front of nitromethane 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.
* 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 off its fuel
flow.
* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads
off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
* Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end
of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear
to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the
pistons.
* To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average
of
over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch
acceleration is closer to 8G's.
* If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once
NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs around $1000.00 per second.
* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this
sentence.
* One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8
rows
at Daytona
* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro
per
second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747, but with 4
times the energy volume.
* The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
* Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on
overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly solid form before
ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
* Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an
arc welder in each cylinder.
* At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame
front of nitromethane 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.
* 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 off its fuel
flow.
* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads
off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
* Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end
of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear
to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the
pistons.
* To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average
of
over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch
acceleration is closer to 8G's.
* If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once
NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs around $1000.00 per second.
* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this
sentence.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,798
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From: TEXAS
Re: Dragster facts
Originally posted by 99svtlightning
* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
Doug
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,446
Likes: 0
Re: Re: Dragster facts
Originally posted by Silver_2000_
!
At least some of this is urban legend. The top fuel cars "drop a cylinder" ALL the time and the engines dont explode.
Doug
! At least some of this is urban legend. The top fuel cars "drop a cylinder" ALL the time and the engines dont explode.
Doug
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Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,803
Likes: 1
From: North Canton, Ohio
Ditto what Silver 2000 said. This is myth.
Don't you notice the white mist being exhausted from a nitro
cars cylinder through the header when they drop a cylinder.
This will however cause you to start pushing toward the center
line or the wall when it happens, depending on what side goes out. Loose one on your right bank and it can be " Hello wall" , loose one on the left bank, and you can easily be propelled across the center line.
And contrary to popular belief, straight Nitromethane will not burn unless it is compressed...
If you want to see something really amazing, just get around one when they dump their oil in the pits after just 1 pass and take a good look at it. Incredible...
Marc
Don't you notice the white mist being exhausted from a nitro
cars cylinder through the header when they drop a cylinder.
This will however cause you to start pushing toward the center
line or the wall when it happens, depending on what side goes out. Loose one on your right bank and it can be " Hello wall" , loose one on the left bank, and you can easily be propelled across the center line.
And contrary to popular belief, straight Nitromethane will not burn unless it is compressed...
If you want to see something really amazing, just get around one when they dump their oil in the pits after just 1 pass and take a good look at it. Incredible...
Marc