unstoppable
Registered
The Elephant (aka, the HEMI(R).
Arena... TOP FUEL DRAGSTERs
One TF dragster's 500-inch Hemi's makes more horsepower than the first 8
Rows at the Daytona 500.
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.
A stock hemi will not produce enough power to drive the dragster's
supercharger.
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
pipes 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 ½ 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 stopping the fuel
flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
the cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads
off the block in pieces, and/or splitting the block in half.
To exceed 300 mph in 4.4xx 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 $1000.00 per second.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading
this sentence.
Top Fuel Engines turn 9500 rpm at redline.
The current TF dragster elapsed time record is 4.477 seconds for the
quarter mile (06/02/01 Kenny Bernstein)[Edit: This record was recently broken.]
Putting it all in perspective,(theoretically):
You are driving an average Lingenfelter powered 427 cid "twin-turbo" Corvette.
Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch
down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying
start, but you still run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast
across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. At
this moment, the dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot planted
to the floor, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums
and within seconds the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the
finish line, a quarter mile away from where you passed him.
This phenomenal machine has spotted you 200mph and not only caught,
but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320
feet.
Chrysler first designed and built the HEMI for the street in 1951.
__________________
Arena... TOP FUEL DRAGSTERs
One TF dragster's 500-inch Hemi's makes more horsepower than the first 8
Rows at the Daytona 500.
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.
A stock hemi will not produce enough power to drive the dragster's
supercharger.
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
pipes 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 ½ 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 stopping the fuel
flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
the cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads
off the block in pieces, and/or splitting the block in half.
To exceed 300 mph in 4.4xx 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 $1000.00 per second.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading
this sentence.
Top Fuel Engines turn 9500 rpm at redline.
The current TF dragster elapsed time record is 4.477 seconds for the
quarter mile (06/02/01 Kenny Bernstein)[Edit: This record was recently broken.]
Putting it all in perspective,(theoretically):
You are driving an average Lingenfelter powered 427 cid "twin-turbo" Corvette.
Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch
down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying
start, but you still run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast
across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. At
this moment, the dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot planted
to the floor, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums
and within seconds the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the
finish line, a quarter mile away from where you passed him.
This phenomenal machine has spotted you 200mph and not only caught,
but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320
feet.
Chrysler first designed and built the HEMI for the street in 1951.
__________________
