Acceleration!!!

BRAVO 2SS · 03-10-2014, 10:16 PM

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 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 seares 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 1000 foot long race !!!!
That, my friends.....is acceleration!

Jason P · 03-10-2014, 10:23 PM

That's bad ass

BRAVO 2SS · 03-10-2014, 10:59 PM

Crazy huh?! Learned something new!

ilirg · 03-10-2014, 11:13 PM

God bless gasoline

*DGthe3* · 03-10-2014, 11:51 PM

That fact sheet pops up every now & then. Still cool to read.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilirg

God bless gasoline

Top fuel dragsters don't use gasoline, they use nitromethane.

Spartan01 · 03-11-2014, 07:56 AM

Pure awesomeness!
Sorry to be Brainy Smurf on this, but, 1/4 mile is actually 1320 feet as opposed to 1000.

*DGthe3* · 03-11-2014, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartan01

Pure awesomeness!
Sorry to be Brainy Smurf on this, but, 1/4 mile is actually 1320 feet as opposed to 1000.

Yes, but Top Fuelers don't race a full 1/4 mile anymore. It was reduced to 1000 feet due to safety concerns.

03-10-2014, 10:16 PM	#1
BRAVO 2SS Aim Small...Miss Small Drives: 2018 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 866	Acceleration!!! 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 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 seares 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 1000 foot long race !!!! That, my friends.....is acceleration! Attached Images __________________ 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Last edited by BRAVO 2SS; 03-10-2014 at 11:02 PM.

03-10-2014, 10:23 PM	#2
Jason P Drives: 2011 2ss Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: United States Posts: 272	That's bad ass __________________ 2011 2ss Ram twin plate ceramic clutch, Texas speed 418 LS3 235 /243 .621 / .624 cam, ported and polished heads with dual springs,magnum push rods, Hotchkis race pack, Stainless Power long tube headers with no cats, Magna Flo competition exhaust, lpe fuel pump, magnuson supercharger with overdrive and port matched blower plate, IW 8 rib pullies, AEM meth kit, id 850 injectors, 3 bar map, halltech cai, zl1 rear diff

03-10-2014, 10:59 PM	#3
BRAVO 2SS Aim Small...Miss Small Drives: 2018 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 866	Crazy huh?! Learned something new! __________________ 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS

03-11-2014, 07:56 AM	#6
Spartan01 Drives: Evil Eva, 2010 2SS LS3 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Falls Church, Virginia Posts: 3,600	Pure awesomeness! Sorry to be Brainy Smurf on this, but, 1/4 mile is actually 1320 feet as opposed to 1000. __________________ "You simply cannot trust quotes found on the internet." -Abraham Lincoln

03-10-2014, 11:13 PM	#4
ilirg Drives: 2011 Camaro 2ss Join Date: May 2013 Location: nj Posts: 1,559	God bless gasoline