Bruce.... fascinating information.... truly amazing...
but not many of us common folks will ever have the opportunity to make a
single pass in one....
Yet.... for just a few minutes every year.... we can go Bonneville and let
time stand still.... The effort of a bunch of volunteers allows us to
leave the starting line and own the whole course to our hearts content....
Our chance at pitting the cummulative knowledge and mechanical expertise of
our team.... to see what the ultimate outcome of our skills are.... It's
in those few minutes that all of this is truly worth while.... something the
common man Can Do.... rather then talk about....
Nothing happens in life without a passion.... all of us are simply lucky
enough to be capable of living our dreams....
Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: <FastmetalBDF@aol.com>
To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 8:19 PM
Subject: TODAY'S TOP FUEL DIGGERS - NOTHING LIKE THOSE IN THE 60s !!!
> * 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 of it's fuel flow.
>
> *
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/// what is needed. It isn't that difficult, folks.
|