<VV> Fwd: Acceleration Defined

[Louis Armer]

>Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:59:27 -0400
>To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>From: Louis Armer <carmerjr at mindspring.com>
>Subject: Fwd: Acceleration Defined
>
>Since the list is SO WAY OFF TOPIC......................Try this one 
>on for greed, nonsense and absolute meaningless
>expense and "achievement"??? to any Corvair owner.
>
>Chuck Armer
>////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
>>Subject: Acceleration Defined
>>
>>One top fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower
>>than the first 4 rows of stock cars at the Daytona 500.
>>
>>Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of nitro
>>methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate
>>with 25% less energy being produced.
>>
>>A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to drive the
>>dragster's supercharger.  With 3,000 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 lock at full throttle.  At the
>>stoichiometric (stoichiometry: methodology and technology by which
>>quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions are 
>>determined) < BR>1.7:1 air/fuel mixture of nitro methane, the flame 
>>front temperature
>>measures 7,050 deg 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.  This is the output of
>>an arc welder in each cylinder.  Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed
>>during a pass. After halfway, the engine is dieseling from compression,
>>plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1,400 deg 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 sufficient force to blow
>>cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.
>>
>>In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an
>>average of o ver 4G's. In order to reach 200 mph (well before half-track),
>>the launch acceleration approaches 8G's.
>>
>>Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading
>>this sentence.  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 9,500 rpm. Assuming all the
>>equipment
>>is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each
>>run costs an estimate $1,000.00 per second.
>>
>>The current top fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441 seconds for the
>>quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher). The top speed record is 333.00
>>mph (533 km/h) as measured over the last 66' of the run (09/28/03 Doug
>>Kalitta).
>>
>>Putting all of this into perspective, picture this scenario: You are
>>driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter "twin-turbo" powered Corvett e Z06.
>>
>>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.
>>You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting
>>line and pass the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The "tree" goes green for
>>both of you at that moment.The dragster launches and starts after you. You
>>keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that
>>sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds, the dragster catches and 
>>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 not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed
>>you within a mere 1,320 foot long race course.
>>
>>  ... and tha t my friend, is ACCELERATION
>
>CORSA Tri-membership Chairman
>CORSA Member
>Corvanatics Member
>Corvair Atlanta Director
>SECC Member
>1965 Corsa Coupe
>1964 Greenbrier
>1965 Corsa Autocross car 1/2 owner
>http://darthvair.com

CORSA Tri-membership Chairman
CORSA Member
Corvanatics Member
Corvair Atlanta Director
SECC Member
1965 Corsa Coupe
1964 Greenbrier
1965 Corsa Autocross car 1/2 owner
http://darthvair.com